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Hot and Sour Soup, the Authentic Way (酸辣汤)

Tangy, glossy broth filled with ingredients of diverse flavours and textures, hot and sour soup is hearty, comforting and delectable. Learn to make it the authentic Chinese way.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Soak
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 116 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese

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 strands dried lily buds (lily flower)
For the pork
  • 80 g lean pork about ½ cup after slicing, see note 1
  • 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 soft tofu, julienned about ½ cup after slicing
  • 1 egg
For the soup base
  • 1000 ml unsalted chicken/vegetable stock, or water about 4¼ cups
  • 4 tablespoon cornstarch mix with 4 tablespoon of water
For the seasoning
  • 3 tablespoon black rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • Coriander or scallions finely chopped

Instructions

Rehydrate the dried ingredients
    Cup of Yum
  1. 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).
  2. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips. Tear lily buds lengthways into thinner strands.
Marinate the pork
  1. Cut pork, against its grain, into thin strips. Mix with cornstarch and water, then coat with oil. Set aside.
Prepare other ingredients
  1. Slice carrot, bamboo shoots and tofu into thin strips. Lightly beat the egg.
Cook the soup
  1. 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.
  2. Add shiitake mushroom, wood ear, lily buds, carrot, bamboo shoots. Leave to cook for 2 mins or so.
  3. 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.
  4. Once the soup becomes thick, gently slide in the tofu. Slowly pour in the egg in a circular motion.
Season the soup
  1. When the soup starts bubbling again, turn off the heat. Add black rice vinegar, soy sauce, white pepper and sesame oil (see note 2).
  2. Give everything a gentle stir. Garnish with coriander or scallions. Serve warm.

Notes

  • You may use chicken breast to replace pork. To make the dish vegetarian, simply skip the meat.
  • If you‘re not going to serve the soup straightaway, leave out the seasonings and add them when the soup is reheated and to be served immediately. This is to ensure the ultimate tangy flavour from black rice vinegar and white pepper.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 116kcal (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 116

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 116kcal 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.