Chinese Hot and Sour Soup Lite

Toropop's Note:

This recipe helped me with my diet and also helped me to stretch my dollar through the lean college years. It's an adaptation from another recipe for vegetarians and those pursuing a healthier lifestyle.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 6 quarts

• 10 cups fat-free chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon garlic and red chile paste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup shiitake mushroom, sliced and stems removed
• 1 cup straw mushroom, sliced
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoot, julienned
• 1 (12 ounce) package of light firm tofu, diced or cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup water chestnut, sliced
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 cup Egg Beaters egg substitute or 1/2 cup just the whites egg white

Directions:

1. Using an 8-qt dutch oven, bring 8 cups of fat-free chicken broth to a simmer.
2. Add the soy sauce, mushrooms and chile paste and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the vinegar, julienned bamboo shoots, sliced water chestnuts, and tofu and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
4. In a separate container, mix the 3 Tbsp of cornstarch with the remaining 2 cups of broth.
5. When cornstarch and broth are throughly combined, STIR in the cornstarch mixture into your hot soup (WARNING: Do this SLOWLY as the cornstarch has a tendency to"clump" once it makes contact with the hot soup).
6. Bring back to simmer and then pour the Egg Beaters thinly over the soup to create an"egg drop soup" effect.

Reviews

[Mgnbos]

Yum! This came together easily and tastes great. Like the reviewer below I did not add in the egg yet as I expect I will be freezing some of this (the tofu pieces are likely to be enough for my husband not to try this). The 'hot' and 'sour' are in perfect proportions. EDIT - it is even better the next day!

[yogiclarebear]

Great recipe. I made a few changes based on what I had and liked. I used dried mushrooms that I had reconstituted. I also used rice vinegar, and added more bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, so it was quite chunky. I left out the egg so I could freeze some, and will add it as I reheat. Also added a little more heat with some red pepper flakes, and 1/2 tsp of fresh ginger. Thanks again!

[FLKeysJen]

Nice and spicy! I used rice vinegar but kept everything else the same. We didn't miss the pork from the regular version. For now I'm not using stars in my review because the egg drop wasn't successful for me. It just dissolved into the soup and disappeared! I suspect the simmer setting was not hot enough to cook the egg, and next time I'll try getting it up to a boil or close to it before I pour in the egg.