Hot and Sour Soup
This is a favorite soup of mine and it’s lowfat and if made with vegetable stock and without eggs, it’s vegetarian. Once you have everything on hand, it’s quick and easy to make. The unusual ingredients are found dried, canned or frozen in Oriental/Asian markets and online. Simply make your shopping list, stock your pantry and then make this delicious soup. For non-vegetarians, add your favorite carcass for flavor and fat. You can spice this to your liking, this recipe as is will not be very hot nor very spicy.
6 cups of a good low sodium chicken stock or broth
1 cup of dried tree ear/cloud ear fungus cut into strips
1 cup of bamboo shoots, cut into strips
1 cup of dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and cut into strips
small handful of dried lily buds
1 cup of tofu, cubed (I like the firm style)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
1 tablespoon of Zhejiang black vinegar, a/k/a black rice vinegar, Chinese brown rice vinegar, brown rice vinegar, Chinkiang vinegar, Chekiang vinegar, Chenkong vinegar.
1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon of hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon of chili oil (or chili paste)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ cup cornstarch slurry (water mixed with 2 TBSP cornstarch)
Few shakes of black or white pepper to taste
Method
1) Put chicken stock in a pot. Bring stock to boil over high heat. Add shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoots, cloud ear fungus. Reduce fire to low heat, and simmer for 20 min.
2) Add in chili oil/ paste pepper. Stir well, and simmer for another 10 min.
3) Stir in cornstarch slurry until consistency is slightly thickened.
4) Break eggs in a bowl, briefly beat with serving fork then swirl eggs into the soup in stages. Stir constantly till egg-drop forms strips. Add tofu, and simmer for 1 min. Heat off. Stir in lemon juice, vinegars and sesame oil AFTER heat is off. Serve hot.
TASTE GUIDE:
If not sour enough, add more vinegar or lemon juice.
If it’s too sour, add a little palm sugar.
If it’s not spicy enough, add more chili oil, a 1/4 tsp at a time.
To make it taste richer, add a little more sesame oil.
To make it saltier, add a little soy sauce.
RELATED: A simplified, easy lowfat hot & sour soup
More hot and sour soup recipes
More soups at the Goddess Grub website