Hot and Sour Soup (VIDEO)

A ladle with easy and authentic hot and sour soup cooked in a pot.

5 from 174 votes

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

Equipment

Ladle

Ingredients

1/2 tbsp neutral oil
3 dried red chilis or 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
8 cups chicken stock
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp msg
3 tbsp light soy sauce low sodium
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
12 oz mushrooms sliced; I used a combination of wood ears mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and king oyster mushrooms
4 oz bamboo shoots sliced
6 oz firm tofu cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 green onions chopped
3 eggs beaten
3 tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 scallion chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Heat a wok or heavy bottomed pot on medium heat and add 1/2 tbsp of oil. Add the chilis and saute for 1 minute and remove the chilis once they have darkened slightly and infused in the oil.
In the same pot over medium high heat, pour in the chicken stock and season with white pepper, sugar, msg, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix until combined.
Add the sliced mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and tofu and mix well. Cover and bring to a boil.
Mix together the water and cornstarch to create the cornstarch slurry. Uncover the pot and mix in the cornstarch slurry and stir until the broth has thickened to a silky texture.
Turn off the heat and let the broth cool to 150F-160F, 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.
Add 3 tbsp of white vinegar and mix together, garnish with scallions and serve!

Video

Notes

chicken stock - you can also use vegetable stock/broth.
distilled white vinegar - you also use rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar, but I prefer white vinegar.
MSG - I like to use this in moderation as an optional flavor enhancer
assorted mushrooms - I used sliced wood ear, shiitake, and king oyster mushrooms - you can use any combination of mushrooms you prefer. Dried shiitake mushrooms will make your soup taste the most authentic!
dried red chili peppers - you can substitute with 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
tofu - use firm or extra firm tofu to avoid the tofu disintegrating in the soup.
bamboo shoots sliced - these are usually sold in cans at the Asian grocery; if you can't find them, you can cut the stalks of broccoli, cauliflower, or even carrots into thin strips.
cornstarch - use less cornstarch slurry for a thinner soup; use more for a thicker soup.

Egg Ribbons - When adding the egg into the soup, make sure the egg is being poured in a steady stream from the bowl, ideally using a ladle in the other hand to stir the soup as the egg is being poured. This will help create those restaurant style silky ribbons rather than clumped up scrambled eggs!

Make sure the broth is on low - if the soup is too hot, the eggs will cook too quickly and firm up (versus slowly cooking into ribbons).
Pour the egg in a slow, thin, and EVEN stream into the sou. Don't dump all of the egg in or pour it too quickly - this will result in clumps and the eggs will look more like srambled eggs.
Use a ladle or a large spoon and continue to stir the soup while you add the eggs. The continuous movement will ensure that the eggs are evenly dispersed throughout the soup, which will help form the ribbons.

Storage - Store any leftover Hot and Sour Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat until warmed through in the microwave or on the stove. I do not recommend freezing it because it uses cornstarch to thicken up - the consistency when defrosted won't be the same.

Nutrition