Hot and Sour Soup

Name: Hot and Sour Soup
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 6 dried shiitake mushrooms; 250 ml (1 cup) hot water, for soaking; 5 g (a small handful) dried wood ear mushrooms, optional; 150 g (5 oz) pork loin or chicken thigh, cut into thin matchsticks; 1 tsp soy sauce, for the meat; 1 tsp cornstarch, for the meat; 1 l (4 cups) chicken stock, Chicken Stock or good store-bought; 200 g (7 oz) firm tofu, cut into thin matchsticks; 75 g (½ cup) canned bamboo shoots, drained, cut into thin strips; 2 tbsp soy sauce, plus the 1 tsp above; 1 tsp sugar; 60 ml (¼ cup) Chinkiang black vinegar, or 3 tbsp rice vinegar + 1 tbsp balsamic; 1 tsp ground white pepper, or more, to taste; 3 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 4 tbsp cold water; 2 eggs, beaten; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 scallions, thinly sliced; 1 tsp chili oil, optional, or Chili Crisp; fine sea salt, to taste

A peppery, vinegary Chinese soup with mushrooms, tofu and egg ribbons

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 25 min
Total: 50 min
Level: Some skill

Hot and sour soup gets its heat from white pepper rather than chili, and its sourness from black vinegar. This version builds layers of savoriness with dried shiitake and their soaking liquid, thickens the broth just enough to hold everything suspended, and finishes with fine ribbons of egg.

Ingredients

6dried shiitake mushrooms
250 mlhot water (1 cup)for soaking
5 gdried wood ear mushrooms (a small handful)optional
150 gpork loin or chicken thigh (5 oz)cut into thin matchsticks
1 tspsoy saucefor the meat
1 tspcornstarchfor the meat
1 lchicken stock (4 cups)Chicken Stock or good store-bought
200 gfirm tofu (7 oz)cut into thin matchsticks
75 gcanned bamboo shoots (½ cup)drained, cut into thin strips
2 tbspsoy sauceplus the 1 tsp above
1 tspsugar
60 mlChinkiang black vinegar (¼ cup)or 3 tbsp rice vinegar + 1 tbsp balsamic
1 tspground white pepperor more, to taste
3 tbspcornstarchmixed with 4 tbsp cold water
2eggsbeaten
1 tsptoasted sesame oil
2scallionsthinly sliced
1 tspchili oiloptional, or Chili Crisp
fine sea saltto taste

Diet: Dairy-free
Allergens: soy, gluten, egg, sesame, celery, sulphites
Origin: China
Season: Autumn, Winter

Method

Soak the shiitake in the hot water for 20 minutes (and the wood ears in a separate bowl of hot water) until soft. Squeeze dry, saving the shiitake liquid. Discard the stems and slice the caps and wood ears thinly. 20 min
Meanwhile, toss the meat with 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp cornstarch.
Bring the stock and the shiitake soaking liquid (pour carefully, leaving any grit behind) to a simmer. Add the mushrooms and simmer 5 minutes. 5 min
Add the meat, stirring to separate the strands, and simmer until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add the tofu and bamboo shoots. 2 min
Stir in the 2 tbsp soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and white pepper. Taste: it should be boldly sour and peppery. Add salt if needed.
Stir the cornstarch slurry and pour it in while stirring. Simmer 1 minute until the soup turns glossy and lightly thickened. 1 min
Turn off the heat. Stir the soup in one direction to create a slow whirlpool, then pour the beaten egg in a thin stream from a height. Wait 10 seconds before stirring gently, so the egg sets into ribbons.
Stir in the sesame oil and serve with scallions and chili oil on top.

Why it works

Shiitake soaking liquid is packed with guanylate, a savory compound that deepens chicken stock. Cornstarch thickens only once it reaches near-boiling, which suspends the solid pieces and makes the egg form silky ribbons instead of sinking. Vinegar and white pepper are added late because long boiling blunts both.

Common mistakes

Pouring the egg into boiling soup while stirring hard: you get cloudy shreds instead of ribbons.
Adding the cornstarch without stirring: it lumps. Stir it in fast.
Boiling for long after adding vinegar: the sourness fades.

Variations

Vegetarian: Use Vegetable Stock, skip the meat and double the tofu and mushrooms.

Make ahead and storage

Best fresh; cornstarch-thickened soups thin out when reheated. Leftovers keep 2 days; thicken again with a little more slurry if needed.

Notes

Chinkiang (Zhenjiang) black vinegar is sold in Asian groceries; it is malty and mellow. Tamari can replace soy sauce for a gluten-free soup if your vinegar is gluten-free.