Hot and Sour Soup, the Authentic Way (酸辣汤)
User Reviews
5
Hot and Sour Soup, the Authentic Way (酸辣汤)
Description
This hot and sour soup starts by soaking dried mushrooms and lily buds until soft, then slicing them thinly. Pork slices are marinated with cornstarch and oil to tenderize and keep them silky when cooked. Vegetables like carrot and bamboo shoots are cut into thin strips, while tofu adds a soft texture. The soup base uses chicken or vegetable stock, brought to a boil to cook the pork and skim froth.
The rehydrated ingredients are added and cooked briefly before the mixture is thickened gradually with cornstarch slurry, creating a glossy, slightly viscous broth. Seasoning with black rice vinegar, light soy sauce, white pepper, and sesame oil creates the characteristic tangy and peppery flavor profile. A gently beaten egg is poured in to form delicate ribbons through the soup, enhancing its texture and appearance.
The soup is usually served hot, garnished with chopped coriander or scallions. It works well as a starter or light meal, delivering an interplay of sour, spicy, and umami notes alongside varied textures from soft tofu to crisp bamboo shoots.
To maintain the vinegar and pepper flavors, seasonings can be held back when serving later and added freshly when reheated. Using chicken breast instead of pork or omitting meat makes vegetarian variants.
Ingredients
For the dried ingredients
- 5 dried shiitake mushroom about ½ cup after rehydrating and slicing
- 5 g dried wood ear mushroom about ½ cup after rehydrating and slicing
- 20 trands lily buds aka lily flower
For the pork
- 80 g pork about ½ cup after slicing, see note 1, lean
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon neutral cooking oil
Other ingredients
- 40 g carrot about ½ cup after slicing
- 50 g bamboo shoots about ½ cup after slicing
- 100 g tofu about ½ cup after slicing, soft, julienned
- 1 egg
For the soup base
- 1000 ml chicken stock about 4¼ cups, unsalted, or vegetable stock or water
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch mix with 4 tablespoon of water
For the seasoning
- 3 tablespoon black rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce light
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Coriander finely chopped, or scallions
Instructions
Rehydrate the dried ingredients
- Soak dried shiitake mushroom, wood ear mushroom and lily buds in plenty of warm water until they enlarge and become soft. It takes at least 1 hour (soak overnight if you plan ahead).
- Slice the mushrooms into thin strips. Tear lily buds lengthways into thinner strands.
Marinate the pork
- Cut pork, against its grain, into thin strips. Mix with cornstarch and water, then coat with oil. Set aside.
Prepare other ingredients
- Slice carrot, bamboo shoots and tofu into thin strips. Lightly beat the egg.
Cook the soup
- In a wok or large pot, bring the stock (or water) to a full boil. Add the marinated pork. Quickly stir with chopsticks to separate the strands. Use a spoon to skim off the froth appearing on the surface.
- Add shiitake mushroom, wood ear, lily buds, carrot, bamboo shoots. Leave to cook for 2 mins or so.
- Turn down the heat and keep the soup at a gentle simmer. Mix cornstarch and water very well then slowly pour the slurry into the soup. Stir with a spoon/ladle.
- Once the soup becomes thick, gently slide in the tofu. Slowly pour in the egg in a circular motion.
Season the soup
- When the soup starts bubbling again, turn off the heat. Add black rice vinegar, soy sauce, white pepper and sesame oil (see note 2).
- Give everything a gentle stir. Garnish with coriander or scallions. Serve warm.
Notes
- Chicken breast may replace pork for a leaner protein.
- Omit pork entirely to make a vegetarian version.
- When not serving immediately, add the vinegar and pepper seasonings only at reheating to preserve their sharp flavors.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 116 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 116kcal | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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