Better than takeout Hot and Sour Soup! This rich and flavorful soup is packed with wood ear mushrooms, tofu, and silky egg with a bit of spice and tang to make for an incredible comfort meal!
Slice vegetables and tofu and set aside. Mix together cornstarch slurry and beat eggs in two separate bowls.
Heat wok or heavy bottomed pot on high and add 1/2 tbsp of oil. Add chilis and saute for 1 minute and remove once the chilis have infused in the oil.
In the pot, pour in 8 cups of chicken stock and season with white pepper, sugar, msg, light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix and season with salt to taste.
Add sliced mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and tofu and mix well. Cover and bring to a boil.
Uncover the pot and mix in the cornstarch slurry and stir until the broth has thickened to your preference.
Turn heat to low, then pour in the beaten egg in a steady stream into the soup while simultaneously mixing the soup with a ladle to form egg ribbons throughout the soup
Add 3 tbsp of white vinegar and additional sesame oil to taste. Mix together, garnish with green onions and serve.
Notes
If you are using dried shiitake mushrooms, be sure to rehydrate them in hot water until they're soft before slicing the mushrooms.For the egg ribbons, my key tip here is to stir the soup in a circular motion and slowly pour in a thin, steady stream of egg. Ensure the soup is not too hot (test a small amount of egg to see if the ribbons form correctly) - this is another reason for less than ideal egg ribbons!
STORAGE
You can store this soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing it because it uses cornstarch to thicken up - the consistency when defrosted won't be the same.