Hot & Sour Soup Recipe

Rehydrate dried shiitake mushrooms: place dried shiitakes in 1 cup hot water for 20–30 minutes until softened. Remove mushrooms, squeeze out excess liquid and slice thinly. Reserve soaking liquid, strain to remove grit, and add to the stock later for extra flavor.

Heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and grated or thinly sliced ginger and the white parts of the scallions. Sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Add 6 cups stock and the reserved strained mushroom soaking liquid to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil.

If using chicken: add the thinly sliced chicken to the simmering stock and cook 3–4 minutes until just cooked through. Remove and set aside if you prefer to shred or slice more finely; otherwise leave in pot.

Add sliced rehydrated shiitake and any fresh mushrooms plus bamboo shoots and julienned tofu to the simmering broth. Simmer 3–4 minutes to heat through and allow flavors to meld.

Stir in the julienned carrot (if using) and the green parts of the scallions. Simmer 1–2 minutes; vegetables should remain slightly tender-crisp.

In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by whisking 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup cold water until fully dissolved and no lumps remain.

Whisk into the simmering soup gradually. Bring soup to a gentle boil while stirring; the soup will thicken within 1–2 minutes.

Stir in light soy sauce (3 tablespoons), dark soy (1 teaspoon) if using, black vinegar (3 tablespoons), chili paste (1 tablespoon) and ground white pepper (1 teaspoon). Taste and adjust seasoning with up to 1/2 teaspoon salt and more vinegar or soy to balance sour and salty notes. The soup should be noticeably tangy and a little spicy.

Slowly drizzle the lightly beaten egg into the hot soup in a thin stream while stirring the soup in one direction to create silky ribbons. Turn off the heat after adding the egg; residual heat will finish cooking it (about 30 seconds).

Stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil. If you removed and reserved cooked chicken, return it to the pot and warm through briefly (30 seconds).

Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves and additional sliced scallion greens if desired. Serve with extra black vinegar and chili oil at the table so diners can adjust sourness and heat.