Here’s a classic hot and sour soup recipe—perfect balance of spicy, tangy, and savory, with tofu, mushrooms, and a little bite of pepper.
Hot and Sour Soup
Ingredients (4–6 servings)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup sliced shiitake or button mushrooms
- ½ cup bamboo shoots, julienned
- ½ cup tofu, cut into small cubes
- 2–3 green onions, sliced
- 1–2 tsp soy sauce (to taste)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or more for tanginess)
- 1–2 tsp chili paste or Sriracha (adjust heat)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water (slurry)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- Optional: white pepper to taste, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat broth in a pot. Add mushrooms and bamboo shoots; simmer 5 minutes.
- Add tofu, soy sauce, vinegar, and chili paste. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Thicken soup: slowly stir in cornstarch slurry until soup slightly thickens.
- Add egg: pour beaten egg slowly while stirring to create thin ribbons.
- Finish with sesame oil and green onions. Add white pepper if desired.
- Serve hot, garnished with cilantro if you like.
Tips
- Adjust sourness with more vinegar and heat with chili paste.
- For a richer soup, add a small splash of chicken or mushroom stock concentrate.
- Works well with pork strips or shrimp if you want a non-vegetarian version.
If you want, I can give a restaurant-style thickened hot and sour soup recipe that’s closer to what you get in Chinese restaurants—it has that silky, slightly glossy texture. Do you want me to do that?
