Hot'N'Sour Soup
Submitted by rowneyj
Hot and sour soup: the authentic Chinese classic with shredded pork, tofu, shiitake, and bamboo shoots in a peppery, vinegar-sharp broth thickened to a silky body and finished with egg ribbons.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
45 minThis is hot and sour soup the way it is done in a good Chinese kitchen, with the heat and the sour in proper balance. White pepper brings a warm, sharp heat and white vinegar the tang, and the two play off each other in every spoonful.
Everything gets shredded fine, that is the hallmark. Dried shiitake mushrooms soaked and slivered, bamboo shoots, tofu, and lean pork all cut into matchsticks so they cook quickly and you get a little of each in every bite.
The texture is built in two steps. A cornstarch slurry thickens the broth into that signature glossy, almost velvety body, then a beaten egg is drizzled in slowly and stirred so it sets into delicate ribbons.
Off the heat, a swirl of toasted sesame oil and a scatter of scallions add the finishing aroma. Use tamari in place of the soy and the bowl is gluten-free. Serve at once, steaming.
Kitchen Tips
- Soak the dried shiitake until soft, then trim the tough stems and shred the caps finely.
- Shred everything to a similar matchstick size so it all cooks evenly and quickly.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry to recombine right before adding it, and keep stirring as the soup thickens.
- Pour the beaten egg in a thin, slow stream while gently stirring for delicate ribbons, and add the sesame oil off the heat.
Variations
- Adjust the white pepper and vinegar to balance the heat and sour to your taste.
- Use tamari instead of soy sauce for a gluten-free soup.
- Add wood ear mushrooms or lily buds for a more traditional texture.
Ingredients
Directions
- If soup is not thick enough, add 2 more spoons of cornstarch (mixed into cold water) into the soup.
PREPARE AHEAD:
In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with ½ cup of warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes.
Discard the water.
With a cleaver or knife, cut away and discard the tough stems of the mushrooms, and shred the caps by placing one at a time on a chopping board.
Cut them horizontally into paper-thin slices, and then into thin strips.
Drain the pieces of bamboo shoots and bean curd, and rinse them in cold water.
Shred them as fine as the mushrooms.
With a cleaver or sharp knife, trim the pork of all fat.
Then shred it, too, by slicing the meat as thin as possible and cutting the slices into narrow strips about 1½ to 2 inches long.
Have the above ingredients, stock, salt, soy sauce, pepper, vinegar, cornstarch mixture, egg, sesame seed oil and scallions within easy reach.
TO COOK:
Combine in a heavy 3-quart saucepan the stock, salt, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and pork.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 3 minutes.
Drop in the bean curd and the pepper and the vinegar.
Bring to a boil again.
Give the cornstarch mixture a stir to recombine it and pour it into the soup.
Stir for a few seconds until the soup thickens, then slowly pour in the beaten egg, stirring gently all the while.
Remove the soup from the heat and ladle it into a tureen or serving bowl.
Stir in the sesame seed oil and sprinkle the top with scallions.
Serve at once.
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