A simple and quick Chinese Hot and Sour Soup that is perfect for when you have a craving for some sour, maybe spicy soup. We take a shortcut and use chicken bouillon paste, which works wonders when stir fried together with the ingredients. It delivers a umami punch to every bite!
Really Easy Hot and Sour Soup
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Loading...A simple and quick Chinese Hot and Sour Soup that is perfect for when you have a craving for some sour, maybe spicy soup. We take a shortcut and use chicken bouillon paste, which works wonders when stir fried together with the ingredients. It delivers a umami punch to every bite!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup dried woodear (black fungus)
- 1/4 cup dried lily flowers, ends removed
- 6 dried or fresh Shiitake mushrooms
- Boiling water to submerge rehydrated ingredients
- oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbps. chicken bouillon
- 8 cups water
- 3.5-4 tsp dark soy sauce
- 6 tbsp. soy sauce
- 4 tbsp. white vinegar or more to taste
- 1/3-1 tsp white/black pepper or to taste
- 1/2 lb. soft tofu, julienned
- sesame oil
- 2 cooked bamboo shoots, julienned (optional)
- Garnish: diced scallion or cilantro
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Cornstarch slurry: 6 tbsp. cornstarch
Instructions
Place dried woodear, lily flowers and Shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl and pour boiling water over the ingredients. Cover the bowl with a large plate or cover. Let sit for 1 hour or until the ingredients are fully rehydrated. Once rehydrated, remove the woodear, lily flowers and Shiitake mushrooms and squeeze out excess liquid. Roughly chop the woodear. De-stem and julienne the Shiitake mushrooms. Set aside.
Warm a large pot over medium heat with a tbsp. of oil and fry the minced garlic until sizzling. Next, briefly fry the woodear, lily flowers, Shiitake mushrooms and bamboo.
Add the chicken bouillon and stir-fry with the ingredients (for best taste).
Pour water, dark soy sauce, soy sauce and vinegar into the pot. Add white pepper and stir.
Make the cornstarch slurry. In a bowl mix a few tablespoons of soup from step 4 with 6 tbsp. of cornstarch.
Bring the soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the soup, making sure there are no cornstarch lumps.
Lower julienned tofu into the soup. Simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Taste, very carefully (cool down the liquid), to season further with salt, soy sauce, pepper or more vinegar.
Add a feathered egg. While one hand stirs the soup in a circular motion, hold the bowl of beaten eggs stationary above the soup. Drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup slowly while the other hand stirs in a circular motion.
Leave the pot uncovered until cooled. Shake excess water off the lid before covering the pot.
Garnish with diced scallions (or cilantro) and sesame oil (and chili oil, optionally).
Notes
Other add-ins: sugar or chili oil.
Cook bamboo per the instructions on the package.
For best taste, be sure to stir-fry ingredients with the chicken bouillon paste in step 3.
