Hot & Sour Soup Recipe

Place 6 cups chicken broth and 1 cup water in a large pot and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 4 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon Szechuan chili oil (or paste), 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon white pepper, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Taste the broth and adjust seasoning: more vinegar for tang, more chili oil for heat, or a pinch more salt if needed.

Prepare dried shiitake mushrooms: place 6 dried shiitakes in a bowl and pour 1 cup of hot water over them. Let soak 20–30 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid, strain through fine sieve or paper towel to remove grit, and add to the broth for extra umami (about 1/4 cup). Slice rehydrated shiitakes thinly, discard tough stems.

Thinly slice the chicken breast (or pork) across the grain into 1/8–1/4-inch strips. For more tender pieces, marinate briefly in 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch for 10 minutes (optional). Add the sliced meat to the simmering broth and cook 3–5 minutes until just cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add 1 cup fresh mushrooms (sliced), 3 tablespoons drained julienned bamboo shoots, 1/2 cup julienned carrot, and the rehydrated shiitake slices to the broth. Simmer 3–4 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.

Cut 8 oz firm tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and gently stir into the simmering soup. Cook 2–3 minutes to warm through. Return the cooked sliced meat to the pot.

Chop 2 scallions; reserve most of the green parts for garnish and add the white parts to the soup now to soften slightly.

Make a cornstarch slurry: whisk 3 teaspoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water until smooth. With the soup at a gentle simmer, slowly whisk the slurry into the pot. Cook 1–2 minutes until the broth slightly thickens and coats a spoon.

Beat 1 large egg in a small bowl. With the soup at a gentle simmer, stir the soup in one direction to create a gentle whirlpool, then slowly drizzle the beaten egg into the pot while stirring to form thin ribbons. Do not over-stir; let the egg set for a few seconds.

Stir in 1 tablespoon black vinegar (or additional rice vinegar) and taste. Adjust acidity, salt, or chili oil as desired for a balanced hot-and-sour profile.

Turn off heat and finish with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with reserved scallion greens and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.