Thai Hot & Sour Chicken Soup

Hot and sour soup is built on a balance of two simple flavours: heat from white pepper, sourness from vinegar. This chicken version goes light on the heat and lets the white wine vinegar carry the sour, with soy sauce, bamboo shoots, snow peas, and red bell pepper building the savoury base. A pound of firm tofu goes in for protein and texture.

The two finishing moves are what make this soup taste authentic. A cornstarch slurry whisked in at the end gives the broth its glossy, slightly thickened body. Then beaten eggs are drizzled slowly into the simmering soup while stirring gently, where they cook on contact into silky ribbons that float through every bowl.

Don’t skip pre-marinating the chicken in a tablespoon of soy sauce. Even just 5 minutes of contact seasons the meat from the inside and gives a deeper flavour than chicken added directly to the pot.

Pro Tips

• Slice the chicken thin (⅛ inch as directed) so it cooks in 3 minutes flat. Thick pieces stay rubbery in the brief sear.
• White pepper is non-negotiable for the classic hot and sour flavour. Black pepper tastes different (more peppery, less earthy-hot) and won’t give the right profile.
• Pour the beaten eggs in a slow steady stream while stirring the soup in one direction. That’s what creates the long ribbons instead of clumps.
• Add the vinegar off direct heat. Boiling vinegar drives off the sour notes and you’ll need to add more.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of chili garlic sauce or a drizzle of chili oil for more heat.
• Swap the chicken for thinly sliced pork or shrimp for a different protein.
• Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and dried wood ear fungus (soaked) for a more traditional version.