Hot and Sour soup, which is packed with mushrooms, tofu, and smooth egg ribbons, is made glossy by thickening the broth with cornflour or cornflour. Enjoy it as a meal or as an appetiser with Kung Pao Chicken and Fried Rice!

a definite popularity among Chinese beginners! A glossy soup broth full of mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoots that is sour, flavourful, and spicy to your desired level. To make it vegetarian, omit the chicken and substitute prawns or prawns, or chunks of fish. Serves 4 as a light meal or 6–8 as an appetiser.

Ingredients For Hot and Sour Soup

1.  7-ounce (220 g) chicken breast
2. Twelve dried shiitake mushrooms (or five ounces, or 150 grammes)
3. 1/2 cup chopped wood ear mushrooms, measuring 1.5 cm or 3/5″ in length

Hot and Sour Soup Broth:

1. 1 tsp red pepper flakes or dried chilli powder, taste and adjust spiciness
2. 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3. 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
4. 1 tsp finely chopped ginger
5. 1/2 tsp sub-black white pepper
6. Six cups (1.5L/1.5qt) low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock or broth
7. one teaspoon sesame oil
8. one teaspoon sugar
9. one-fourth cup (65 ml) white vinegar (adjust to taste)

SOUP:

1. roughly 1 cup (125 g/4 oz) firm tofu, diced into 1.2 cm (0.5 in) pieces
2. 1/4 cup finely cut bamboo shoots
3. Two whisked eggs
4. 1/4 cup (40 g) cornflour or cornstarch
5. 1/4 cup (125 ml) water
6. 1 thinly sliced shallot or onion
7. Salt to taste

Instructions For Hot and Sour Soup

1. Pour a generous amount of boiling water over the shiitake mushrooms. Once soft, let alone for 20 to 30 minutes, drain, and then thinly slice. (Trash or save the liquid for later use.)

PICKED CHICKEN:

1. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine chicken broth, ginger, soy sauces, chilli, sugar, pepper, and sesame oil.
2. Add the chicken, cover, and lower the heat so that it continues to simmer.
3. After 10 minutes, take out the chicken and shred it.

FINISH SOUP:

1. Incorporate tofu, shredded chicken, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake, bamboo shoots, and vinegar into the soup.
2. Stir and cook for ten minutes.
3. Add water to cornflour mixture. Pour the cornflour mixture in slowly, making sure there are no lumps, while stirring the soup at a medium speed.
4. The secret to making the recognisable “egg ribbons” is to slowly add the egg in a narrow stream while stirring continually as it begins to simmer again.
5. Taste and adjust with salt or more chilli if needed.
6. Serve with shallots added!

Note:

1.  Mushrooms: Use dried shiitake mushrooms for the purest taste. The texture is better and the flavour is stronger than when it was fresh. When slicing, if you find that it’s still solid in the middle, add the broth first to finish dehydrating. The best substitute are Asian mushrooms, such as cremini or brown mushrooms.   For a genuine Chinese restaurant experience, wood ear mushrooms are also a must-have component (see post for more details). Available at Asian grocery stores and select Harris Farms grocery stores. If dry, soak for half an hour in shiitake. Can be omitted; increase the shiitake.
2. True types of chilli employ finely chopped dried Asian chillies. Remove the seeds to reduce their heat. It’s okay to use red pepper or chilli flakes as well; the difference is barely noticeable.
3.  Soy sauce: For an all-purpose soy sauce, substitute more light soy for darker soy, or vice versa. Use a broth with a stronger flavour rather than just dark soy sauce.
4. Tofu: It needs to be firm to prevent crumbling when the soup is stirred. Feel the packet; it should feel firmer, but not unbearably so. If all you can find is soft tofu, add it in last and mix gently.
5. Bamboo shoots: available at Asian grocery stores and huge supermarkets, cut and packaged in tins. About 1/3 of a 230g/7oz can is required. Stir fries made with leftovers have a fantastic texture!
6. Storage and reheating: I’ve found that it keeps flawlessly in the refrigerator for up to five days. On the stove, reheat. The thickness will change after freezing since cornflour/cornstarch loses its effectiveness after freezing. Simple solution: just thaw, reheat, and gradually add additional cornflour/water mixture, stirring, until the desired thickness is reached (use the same recipe methods for this).

NUTRITION INFORMATION: