Authentic Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup

Name: Authentic Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 10 g dried lily flowers; 10 g dried wood ear mushrooms; 20 g dried shiitake mushrooms; 85 g spiced dry tofu; 115 g fresh firm tofu; 1.65 L vegetable or mushroom stock; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp sugar; 2 dried red chili peppers; 2 tsp ground white pepper; 1.5 tsp mushroom flavored dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tsp sesame oil; 140 g bamboo shoots; 1/3 cup white vinegar; 1/4 cup cornstarch; 1 large egg; 1 scallions

A classic Chinese restaurant staple made right in your own kitchen. This hearty soup features a perfect balance of spicy white pepper and tangy vinegar, filled with a variety of textures from mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and tender tofu.

Servings8 Portions

Prep Time60 Mins

Cook Time20 Mins

Difficulty

Intermediate

Ingredients

dried lily flowers
10 g
dried wood ear mushrooms
10 g
dried shiitake mushrooms
20 g
spiced dry tofu
85 g
fresh firm tofu
115 g
vegetable or mushroom stock
1.6 L
salt
0.5 tsp
sugar
0.3 tsp
dried red chili peppers
2
ground white pepper
2 tsp
mushroom flavored dark soy sauce
1.5 tsp
light soy sauce
1 tbsp
sesame oil
1 tsp
bamboo shoots
140 g
white vinegar
0.3 cup
cornstarch
0.3 cup
large egg
1
scallions
1

Step-by-Step Instructions

Rehydrate the dried ingredients by placing the lily flowers, wood ear mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms in separate bowls. Cover each with 1 cup of hot water and soak for approximately 1 hour until fully hydrated. Strain and reserve the shiitake soaking liquid to add depth to your broth.

Prepare the vegetables and tofu: Trim the tough, woody ends off the lily flowers and cut them in half. Roughly chop the wood ears and thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms. Slice both the spiced tofu and the fresh firm tofu into thin strips about 2 inches long.

In a large soup pot, combine the vegetable stock with the strained mushroom soaking water and bring to a boil. Stir in the salt, sugar, dried chili peppers, white pepper, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and sesame oil to create the flavorful base.

Add the prepared lily flowers, wood ears, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots to the pot. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, then gently stir in the spiced tofu, firm tofu, and white vinegar.