Hot and Sour Soup

Submitted by RuPei

""Hot and Sour Soup" is a perfect soup in the fall and winter. It's also a healthy and delicious soup which you can't miss. In Taiwan we love it all year long! Plus, we add dumplings in the soup! You can find the ingredients pretty easy in any Chinese markets."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 21
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 1 lb raw country-style boneless pork ribs, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Chinese white rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 6 cups water
• 2 cups dried black fungus
• 1 cup bamboo shoot, sliced
• 1⁄3 cup chinese pickled mustard greens, sliced (optional)
• 1 cup carrot, shredded
• 1 cup firm tofu, cut into small cubes
• 5 tablespoons Chinese white rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt (to taste)
• 1 -2 teaspoon white pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1⁄3 cup water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• chopped green onion
• fresh cilantro (optional)

directions

1. Combine pork, rice vinegar, white pepper powder and corn starch. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Soak dried black fungus with warm water until soft. Wash and slice.
3. Cook black fungus, bamboo shoot, mustard greens in boiling water for about 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
4. Combine 1 tablespoon corn starch and 1/3 cup water.
5. Boil chicken broth and water together in a soup pot. Add black fungus, bamboo shoot, mustard greens and carrot. Add some warm water if necessary. Bring to boil again. Reduce heat to medium.
6. Stir in tofu, rice vinegar, soy sauce, salt and white pepper powder. Slowly stir in cornstarch mixture and then pork. Cook for about 2 minutes or until soup becomes thick. Reduce heat to low. Slowly stir in egg and then sesame oil.
7. Serve hot. Sprinkle chopped green onions and cilantro in soup bowl. Sprinkle some more white pepper powder in soup bowl if desire.

Reviews

[DailyInspiration]

This is certainly different and milder than hot and sour soups I have had in restaurants, but it is delicious and healthier. I did add a little heat to the soup; but otherwise tried to stay with the recipe instructions other than a few exceptions. I did not have any black fungus, but used mushrooms instead and I used straight chicken broth - no water (other than the 1/3 cup that I mixed with the cornstarch as a thickener). The sesame oil adds such a nice flavor to the soup. Will definitely make again. Made for Fall PAC, 2012.

 

[SkipperSy]

Hello RuPei,I was looking forward to making your recipe, especially since you said it had a more authentic Taiwanese taste, compared to H&S soups made/eaten in the USA. I tried to follow your ingredients as best I could, but did vary it somewhat (sorry to say); Shitaki Dry Mushrooms, Wonton Soup Powder and Deluted Red Vinegar. The red vinegar I am sure would change the taste somewhat... but that is what I already had. The taste was very good, but not overpowering with vinegar and hot spicy flavors so often found in soups here. And the white pepper was a little strong for my taste. When I make this soup with my ingredients, I sometimes tone down the flavors (not spicy hot or not a lot of red vinegar) and I believe the soup is then called Shanghai Soup. You recipe was very good and since I am single, I have a lot of soup to eat in the next day or two or three LOL. Thanks for sharing you recipe with all of us<br/>Sy