About the Recipe
Hot and Sour soup is a Chinese soup that’s savory, spicy and tangy. The broth is thickened and it’s filled with mushrooms, pork, chicken and shrimp (or all three), bamboo shoots and silky egg ribbons. The flavor and textures in this soup are an addictive combination, making it a firm Chinese restaurant favorite!
Ingredients
For the pork & chicken marinade:
• 4 oz. pork (finely julienned)
• 4 oz. chicken thigh (bite-sized pieces)
• 1 tablespoon Mirin
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoon cornstarch
For the soup:
• 1 to 2 dried red chili peppers (optional)
• 0.3 ounce dried wood ear mushrooms (1/2 cup after rehydrating & slicing)
• 0.3 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (1/2 cup after rehydrating & slicing)
• 4 ounces bamboo shoots
• 1 large egg
• 1 scallion (finely diced)
• 8 cups chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh ground white pepper (or to taste)
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 to ½ cup white vinegar
• 1/3 cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup water
• 10 - 12 peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp
Preparation
Step 1 - Prepare your Proteins
Combine the pork and chicken with the Mirin until the meat has absorbed it.. Add a pinch of salt, soy sauce, vegetable oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch and mix until combined. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Step 2 - Prepare your dry ingredients
Cut the dried chilies in half and discard the seeds. Mince them up and set aside.
In separate bowls, soak the wood ears, and shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of water each for 1-2 hours, until hydrated. Use boiling water.
Once they’re ready, thinly slice the mushrooms and give the wood ears a rough chop. Trim the tough ends off the lily flowers and cut them in half.
Step 3 - Prepare the rest of the ingredients
Julienne the bamboo shoots. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Wash and chop the scallion and set aside. Chop scallions for garnish.
Step 4 - Assemble the soup
Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a wok or pot. Stir in the pork and and chicken and quickly break up any clumps that may form. Once the soup is simmering again, skim off any foam that floats to the top with a fine meshed strainer.
Add the salt, sugar, dried chili pepper (if using), white pepper, both soy sauces, and sesame oil.
Next, add the wood ears, shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots and bring the soup to a simmer once again.
Next, add the vinegar and stir. It should start to look and smell like the real thing about now!
Combine the ⅓ cup cornstarch with ¼ cup water to make a slurry.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and use your soup ladle to stir the soup in a steady circular motion to make a whirlpool while slowly drizzling in the cornstarch slurry. This prevents the cornstarch from clumping. Stop when you’re about ¾ of the way done with your slurry and keep stirring until the soup comes back up to a simmer.
Check the consistency of the soup, as it should be thick enough to coat your spoon or ladle. Add the rest of the cornstarch slurry if you like it thicker.
Step 5 - Adjust the seasoning
Once the soup is the thickness you prefer, use a spoon to check its flavor and adjust things to your own personal preference. Add more white pepper if you like it hot and add more vinegar if like it sour! White pepper gives the soup its signature heat, and the vinegar levels can be adjusted according to how sour you like your hot and sour soup.
Step 6 - Finishing the soup
Add the shrimp and let cook for 5 minutes.
Keep the soup simmering (it should be bubbling before you add the egg, or the soup will turn cloudy when the egg is added), and begin stirring in a circular motion with your ladle once again. Once you get the soup moving in a slowly swirling motion, slowly drizzle the beaten egg into the soup.
Serve your hot and sour soup garnished with chopped scallions!