Hot And Sour Soup Recipe

BY Usman November 5, 2022
Hot And Sour Soup Recipe

Hot And Sour Soup Recipe, In the US, you may order hot and sour soup from any Chinese buffet or takeout menu. From awesomely wonderful to lukewarm, bland, and gloopy, it has a wide variety of qualities and flavors.

There was a period when I never considered making it myself and instead relied on ordering it and the luck of the draw. So you can imagine my shock when my father claimed that in addition to knowing how to make it, he also had a family recipe for it.

The best hot and sour soup I’ve ever had is this particular recipe. I’m not just saying that, either. Making it at home allows you to individually regulate the level of heat and sourness. Anything with vinegar in it drives me insane. You can increase the amount of vinegar in your bowl if you’re like me. Add additional white pepper if you prefer it spicy.

This soup is maybe the most accurate takeout hot and sour soup you’ve ever had, but it’s still far superior to all of those restaurants put together. Check it out yourself!

INGREDIENTS Hot And Sour Soup Recipe

  • FOR THE PORK AND MEAT MARINADE:
  • 4 oz. pork shoulder or meat (finely julienned)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • FOR THE SOUP:
  • 1 to 2 dried red chili peppers (optional)
  • 0.3 ounce dried lily flower (rehydrated, ½ cup after rehydrating)
  • 0.3 ounce dried wood ear mushrooms (1/2 cup after rehydrating & slicing)
  • 0.3 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (1/2 cup after rehydrating & slicing)
  • 3 ounces spiced dry tofu
  • 4 ounces fresh firm tofu
  • 4 ounces bamboo shoots
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 scallion (finely diced)
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh ground white pepper (or to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons dark soy or mushroom soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce or seasoned soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/3 to ½ cup white vinegar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • ¼ cup water

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARE YOUR PORK OR MEAT:

  1. When the meat has absorbed the water, combine the 4 oz. of julienned pork shoulder with 1 tablespoon of water. Mix in a pinch of salt, 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Place aside.

GET READY WITH YOUR DRY INGREDIENTS:

  1. Remove the seeds from the dried chilies and cut them in half. They are minced, then put aside.
  2. The dried lily blossoms, wood ears, and shiitake mushrooms should all be hydrated by soaking them in one cup of water in separate basins for one to two hours. The process will go much more quickly if you use hot water (like you’re making tea).
  3. Once they are prepared, chop the wood ears roughly and thinly slice the mushrooms. Cut the lily blossoms in half and remove the rough ends.

PREPARE THE TOFU AND THE REST OF THE INGREDIENTS:

  1. Cut the firm tofu and the seasoned tofu into pieces that are each 2 inches long and 14 inches thick. The bamboo shoots are julienned. In a small bowl, beat the egg. The scallion should be cleaned, chopped, and set aside.

ASSEMBLE THE SOUP:

  1. In a wok or skillet, bring the chicken stock to a boil. It is preferable to add an additional tablespoon of water to loosen the pork if it has clumped and solidified before adding it to the soup.
  2. Stir in the pork, breaking up any clumps that may form as you go. Use a fine-meshed strainer to remove any froth that rises to the top of the soup once it has resumed boiling.
  3. Add the sesame oil, salt, sugar, white pepper, dried chili pepper (if using), and both soy sauces.
  4. Bring the soup back to a simmer after which add the lily blossoms, wood ears, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo stalks.
  5. After that, whisk in the vinegar along with the two types of tofu. Around this time, it ought to start to smell and look like a genuine article!
  6. Create a slurry by mixing the 1 cup cornstarch with 1 cup water. As cornstarch has a tendency to sink to the bottom of the bowl, make sure everything is thoroughly blended.
  7. As you slowly drizzle in the cornstarch slurry, swirl the mixture in a constant circular motion to create a vortex while bringing it to a simmer. As a result, the cornstarch doesn’t clump. When the slurry is about 3/4 complete, stop and continue stirring until the soup returns to a simmer.
  8. The soup should be thick enough to coat your spoon or ladle, so make sure to check its consistency. If you prefer it thicker, stir in the remaining cornstarch slurry.

ADJUST SEASONING

  1. Use a spoon to taste the soup once it has reached the desired thickness for you and make any necessary flavor adjustments. If you prefer it hotter or more sour, add extra vinegar and white pepper. The soup gets its distinctive heat from white pepper, and the amount of vinegar can be changed depending on how sour you want your hot and sour soup.
  2. Maintain a simmer in the soup (it should be bubbling before you add the egg, or the soup will become cloudy when you add the egg), and start stirring with your ladle in a circular motion once again. The beaten egg should be drizzled into the soup once it has started to softly swirl.
  3. Serve your hot and sour soup with sliced scallions as a garnish!

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