When it comes to Chinese restaurants, I have my favorite dishes. Dim sum and Kung Pao are two of my favorites. Hot and Sour Soup is another favorite. Even if it’s 100° outside like it happens to be in Temecula these days, I will always have a bowl! It’s the balance between the heat from the white pepper and the sour from the black vinegar that makes this soup special for me. In addition, the various textures and flavors from the other exotic ingredients keep me going back for more. All I know is that a good bowl can be a very satisfying meal just by itself. It’s easy enough to go vegetarian; just leave off the pork!
However, if you are going to use a protein in this recipe, you should try a technique called “velveting”. It’s one of those techniques that’s used to make your protein extremely tender. Check out my recipe here on Why Velvet Your Chicken, Beef, or Pork in Your Favorite Asian Recipe
There are a few “exotic” ingredients that are in this recipe that you can find at your local Asian market.
This recipe will become one of your favorites when it’s Chinese Food Night at your household. Check out some of my other Asian Dishes Here (Spicy Drunken Noodle) Here (Broccoli Beef) and Here (Pho)! Enjoy!
And as always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!
Hot and Sour Soup…The Perfect Recipe to Satisfy Your Cravings!
Course: SoupsCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes15
minutesIngredients
- Prep the Pork
12 oz 12 Pork loin, slice into match sized sticks
1 Tbl 1 Corn starch
2 Tbl 2 Dark soy sauce
- Soup Base
1/4 cup 1/4 Black fungus/wood ear mushrooms
1/4 cup 1/4 Dry lily flower
48 oz 48 Chicken broth
2 2 Green onions
6 oz 6 Extra firm tofu
2 Tbl 2 Tamari, low sodium
1/2 cup 1/2 Chinkiang vinegar / Black vinegar
2 tsp 2 White pepper
- Corn Starch Slurry
3 Tbl 3 Corn starch
1/2 cup 1/2 Water
- Egg Slurry
2 2 Eggs, whisked
1 tsp 1 Corn Starch
- Garnish
Green onion, sliced thin
1 tsp 1 Sesame oil
- Optional Ingredients
1/4 cup 1/4 Bamboo shoots, (optional)
1/4 cup 1/4 Dried shiitake mushrooms, (optional)
Directions
- Place black fungus and lily flowers in separate bowls. Add warm water and let sit for a 1/2 hour or until completely hydrated. Cut black fungus and mushrooms into smaller pieces, discard any tough pieces. Cut lily flower into 1-inch pieces. Set all aside.
- Combine pork ingredients together and let marinate for 1/2 hour. Check my blog/recipe on “velveting” your protein here! This is a great opportunity to try this “secret” technique on achieving very tender pork. Below are pictures of after “velveting” the pork and adding a little Dark soy while the pork sat after cooking.
- Place tofu between a large paper towel and lightly squeeze to release liquid. Cut into 1-inch dice. Set aside.
- Whisk egg slurry until combined and set aside.
- Whisk corn starch slurry and set aside.
- Add chicken broth to a saucepan and set to medium-high heat. Add green onion, black fungus, and lily flower to the pot and set heat to simmer.
- As an option, you can add some shiitake mushrooms or bamboo shoots.
- Add pork mixture into the pot and stir to make sure the strands of pork are not sticking together.
- Add tamari, corn starch slurry, stir and cook for an additional 2 minutes at medium-high heat, then drop the heat to medium. Add tofu to the pot and lightly stir the soup.
- Once the soup has thickened to the way you like it and there is a nice gloss to the broth, turn the heat to low.
- Whisk the egg slurry one more time. When done, with one hand slowly stir the soup with a wooden spoon, and at the same time slowly drizzle the egg slurry in a thin stream. Make sure the soup is not bubbling which would hinder the development of nice egg strands.
- Add the black vinegar and the white pepper to the pot and stir to combine.
- Garnish with some sliced green onion and a drizzle of sesame oil. Sesame oil is strong, so don’t be heavy-handed!
- Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
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