Instant Pot Hot and Sour Soup
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5
42 reviews
Excellent
Instant Pot Hot and Sour Soup
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This Instant Pot Hot and Sour Soup combines pork shoulder, tofu, and a variety of rehydrated mushrooms and vegetables in a savory broth that balances tangy, spicy, and umami flavors. The addition of Chinkiang vinegar and soy sauces gives the soup its characteristic hot and sour profile, while thickening with cornstarch adds a silky texture. The soup is garnished with green onions for freshness.
Description
The soup begins by rehydrating dried shiitake, wood ear mushrooms, and optionally dried lily flowers. Pork shoulder is browned optionally in the Instant Pot sauté mode to develop flavor. Chicken stock and shiitake soaking liquid form the broth base, seasoned with Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauces, dark soy, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Bamboo shoots, carrot, and tofu add layers of texture and substance.
After cooking under pressure, beaten egg is swirled in to create delicate egg ribbons. The soup is thickened with a cornstarch slurry to a smooth consistency. The combination of sour vinegar, savory soy, tender pork, mushrooms, and silky tofu yield a deeply flavored, satisfying soup with varying textures and a balanced brightness.
Serving garnished with sliced green onions adds a mild crunch and fresh aroma. This soup can be prepared mostly ahead by rehydrating ingredients and using pre-made stocks.
Selecting a quality Chinkiang vinegar influences the flavor markedly. Using pork shoulder with marbling ensures richness in the broth. The recipe suggests gently covering the pot during reheating to speed warming and advises adjusting thickness by varying cornstarch amount.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound (454g) pork shoulder , 1.5 inches thick
- 15 grams dried shiitake mushrooms , rehydrated and thinly sliced
- 10 grams dried wood ear mushroom rehydrated and roughly chopped
- dried lily flowers rehydrated and halved lengthwise, optional, 12 grams
- bamboo shoots julienne, optional, 140 grams
- carrot julienne, optional, 100 grams
- ½ block (250g - 350g) tofu cubed, firm
- 1½ teaspoons (8g) ginger , sliced
- 1 egg beaten, large
For Optional Browning Step
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil
- salt Kosher salt
- black pepper Kosher salt
Soup
- 4 cups (1L) chicken stock unsalted
- 2 cups (500ml) shiitake mushroom stock or unsalted chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) Chinkiang vinegar aka Zhenjiang vinegar or white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) soy sauce regular
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon (8g) salt fine
- 1 teaspoon (3.2g) ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) sesame oil roasted
- Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, 1 tablespoon (15ml), optional
Thickener
- 3 - 4 tablespoons (27g - 36g) cornstarch
- ¼ cup (63ml - 78ml) water cold
Garnish
- 1 - 2 talks green onions , finely sliced
Instructions
- Rehydrate Dried Mushrooms and Dried Lily Flowers: Rinse dried ingredients to remove any dirt or residue. In a 500ml measuring cup, rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms with 2 cups (500ml) of 120°F warm water. In 2 separate bowls, rehydrate dried wood ear mushrooms and dried lily flowers with 2 cups (500ml) of warm water in each bowl. Soak them for 20 to 60 minutes until softened.
- Prepare Ingredients: To save time, prepare other ingredients while the dried ingredients are rehydrating. Shiitake Mushrooms: Once the shiitake mushrooms are rehydrated and softened, squeeze all liquid out of the mushrooms, remove stems, then slice them thinly. Save the shiitake mushroom liquid, we'll use it as stock later in the recipe. Wood Ear Mushrooms: Roughly chop the wood ear mushrooms. Dried Lily Flowers: Remove tough ends, then cut them in halves lengthwise.
- Optional - Brown Pork Shoulder in Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot by using the “Sauté More” function. Wait until it says "HOT" on the screen (roughly 8 minutes). Pat dry pork shoulder, then lightly season one side of pork with salt and black pepper. Add 1 tbsp (15ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil in Instant Pot. Make sure the oil is coating the whole bottom of the pot. Carefully place the seasoned side of pork in Instant Pot. Then, lightly season the other side of pork with salt and black pepper. Brown one side of the pork for 5 minutes before flipping over, then brown the other side for another 5 minutes. You don't need to constantly flip the meat. Set aside the beautifully browned pork shoulder in a large container.
- Deglaze Instant Pot: Pour 1 tablespoon (15ml) Shaoxing wine and 1 cup (250ml) of the shiitake mushroom stock in Instant Pot. Then completely deglaze the bottom of the pot by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits with a wooden spoon. Note: If you skipped Step 3 (optional browning step), add Shaoxing wine with other ingredients in the next step.
- Pressure Cook Hot and Sour Soup: Press "Cancel" button to turn off Instant Pot. Add browned pork shoulder in Instant Pot. Add in sliced shiitake mushrooms, 1½ tsp (8g) sliced ginger, 2 tbsp (30ml) ChinKiang vinegar, 1 tbsp (15ml) regular soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, 1 tsp (8g) fine salt, 1 tsp (3.2g) ground white pepper, and 1 tsp (5ml) roasted sesame oil. Add in the remaining shiitake mushroom stock and 4 cups (1L) unsalted chicken stock. Close lid and turn the Venting Knob to Sealing position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 18 minutes, then Natural Release for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position. When Floating Valve drops, open the lid carefully.
- Shred Pork Shoulder and Add Ingredients: Place the pork in a large bowl. Discard ginger slices. Add lily flowers, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, and tofu to the soup. Bring the soup back to a boil using the "Saute High" function. Then, allow it to boil for 2 minutes. While you're waiting for the soup to boil, shred the pork with two forks.
- Thicken and Add Egg to Hot and Sour Soup: In a mixing bowl, combine 3 tbsp (27g) cornstarch with ¼ cup (63ml) cold water. Stir thoroughly. Amy + Jacky's Thickening Tip: For a thicker consistency, use 4 tbsp (36g) cornstarch and ¼ cup + 1 tbsp (78ml) cold water. Add shredded pork back in Instant Pot. When the soup is simmering, mix the cornstarch mixture into the soup one-third at a time until desired thickness. Slowly add 1 large beaten egg to the soup while stirring with a continuous circular motion.
- Season and Serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning with more vinegar, salt, white pepper, and roasted sesame oil if needed. Amy + Jacky's Flavors Balancing Notes: We designed this recipe in a way that you can tailor the sour level at the end (See Experiment #1). Keep in mind different types and brands of vinegar have different acidity levels, flavors, and aromas. So make sure to taste and balance the soup according to your vinegar & liking.a) Chinkiang Vinegar: When we used 2 tbsp (30ml) Chinkiang vinegar in Step 5, we balanced the flavors by adding another 1 tsp (5ml) roasted sesame oil and 1 tbsp (15ml) white vinegar. b) White Vinegar: When we used 2 tbsp (30ml) white vinegar in Step 5, we had to balance the soup with roughly 1 tsp (4g) granulated sugar. Finally, garnish the Hot and Sour Soup with finely sliced green onions, then serve!
Equipments used:
Notes
- Use high-quality Chinkiang vinegar as it impacts the soup’s key flavor.
- Choose pork shoulder with good marbling for richer broth flavor.
- Canned bamboo shoots are convenient and maintain consistent texture.
- If dark soy sauce is missing, add sugar to regular soy sauce as a substitute.
- Unseasoned chicken stock allows flavor control; adjust salt accordingly if using salted stock.
- Submerge shiitake mushrooms fully when soaking by weighting them down for consistent hydration.
- Cut ginger in strips to eat them with soup or slices to remove before serving.
- Increase cornstarch slurry to thicken soup more if desired.
- Cover soup with a glass lid while reheating to speed warming.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
174kcal
(9%)
Carbohydrates
12g
(4%)
Protein
15g
(30%)
Fat
8g
(12%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
(12%)
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Trans Fat
0.003g
(0%)
Cholesterol
44mg
(15%)
Sodium
626mg
(26%)
Potassium
382mg
(8%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
2137IU
(43%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
64mg
(6%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6- 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 174 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 174kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 8g | 12% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Trans Fat | 0.003g | 0% |
| Cholesterol | 44mg | 15% |
| Sodium | 626mg | 26% |
| Potassium | 382mg | 8% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 2137IU | 43% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 64mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
42 reviews
Excellent
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