Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

Name: Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Cooked shredded chicken, beef, or pork; 6 oz Firm tofu; 5 cup Chicken or beef stock; 1/4 cup Shiitake mushrooms; 1/4 cup Bamboo shoots; 1/4 cup Water chestnuts; 2 tsp Fresh ginger, minced; 1 Egg; 2 tbsp Rice wine vinegar; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 1/2 tbsp Sriracha chile sauce; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 1 tsp Sesame oil; 1/4 tsp Chinese five-spice; 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes; 2 tbsp Cornstarch; 2 tbsp water; 1 tbsp Fresh chives, minced; 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro leaves; 1 tsp Thai chilies, minced; 1/2 cup Crispy chow mein noodles; 1/8 cup Dried roasted nori, chopped; 1 tbsp Chili sauce, for serving

This Chinese hot and sour soup is savory, tangy, and gently spicy, with tender tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and silky egg ribbons in every spoonful. It is a comforting restaurant-style soup you can make at home in about half an hour with simple pantry ingredients.

Servings4 Portions

Prep Time15 Mins

Cook Time25 Mins

Difficulty

Easy

Ingredients

Cooked shredded chicken, beef, or pork
0.5 cup
Firm tofu
6 oz
Chicken or beef stock
5 cup
Shiitake mushrooms
0.3 cup
Bamboo shoots
0.3 cup
Water chestnuts
0.3 cup
Fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp
Egg
1
Rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp
soy sauce
3 tbsp
Sriracha chile sauce
0.5 tbsp
brown sugar
1 tbsp
Sesame oil
1 tsp
Chinese five-spice
0.3 tsp
Red pepper flakes
0.5 tsp
Cornstarch
2 tbsp
water
2 tbsp
Fresh chives, minced
1 tbsp
Fresh cilantro leaves
2 tbsp
Thai chilies, minced
1 tsp
Crispy chow mein noodles
0.5 cup
Dried roasted nori, chopped
0.1 cup
Chili sauce, for serving
1 tbsp

Step-by-Step Instructions

Prepare the ingredients before you start cooking. Dice the mushrooms, mince the ginger, chop the tofu into small cubes, mince the water chestnuts, and thinly slice the bamboo shoots. Beat the egg in a small bowl, then stir the cornstarch with the water in a separate bowl to make a smooth slurry.

In a medium soup pot, combine the stock, cooked shredded meat, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, tofu, ginger, rice wine vinegar, sriracha, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, Chinese five-spice, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Lower the heat slightly so the soup is gently simmering. Slowly drizzle in the beaten egg while stirring the soup in one direction to create thin egg ribbons. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the egg is fully set.