Hot & Sour Soup With Ginger

There are a lot of Hot & Sour soups here on Recipezaar but I couldn't find one quite like this. It is from a Bon Appetit "Tastes of the world" cookbook I will be making it soon and will add to the introduction

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  cups  canned low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1⁄2 ounces  dried shiitake mushrooms
• 5  tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  oriental sesame oil
• 3  tablespoons  peeled minced fresh ginger
• 10 1⁄2 ounces extra firm tofu, cut into 1/4 ' dice
• 1  ounce  cellophane  rice noodles or 1  ounce angel hair pasta, broken in half
• 1  tablespoon soy sauce
• 1⁄2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1  pinch sugar

Directions

1. Combine broth and mushrooms. let stand until mushrooms soften apprx 20 minutes.
2. Remove mushrooms from the broth and squeeze over the bowl with the broth.
3. Discard mushroom stems: thinly slice caps.
4. Combine vinegar & cornstarch, stir to blend,.
5. Heat oil in a large saucepan, add ginger, saute 30 seconds.
6. Pour in the reserved broth.
7. Bring to boil.
8. Add tofu, noodles, soy sauce, red chili flakes, sugar & mushrooms.
9. Simmer 5 minutes.
10. Add cornstarch mixture, stir until slightly thickened apprx 1 minute.