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Hot & Sour Soup Recipe

Name: Good Friends Chinese Restaurant 友谊s Hot & Sour Soup Recipe
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock; 1 cup water; 3 tbs soy sauce; 3 tbs rice vinegar; 1 tbs Chinese black vinegar or additional rice vinegar; 1 tsp white pepper; 1 tsp granulated sugar; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp sesame oil; 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast (thinly sliced) or firm tofu (julienned); 6 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms; 4 oz fresh shiitake or cremini mushrooms (thinly sliced); 1 tbs fresh ginger (peeled and julienned); 2 cloves garlic (minced); 3 oz bamboo shoots (julienned); 0.5 cup carrot (peeled and matchstick); 3 stalks green onions (thinly sliced, whites and greens separated); 3 tsp cornstarch; 4 tbs cold water; 2 units large eggs; 1 tbs chili paste or sriracha; 1 tsp chili oil (optional); 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional); 0 to taste white pepper (to taste)

Inspired by Good Friends Chinese Restaurant 友谊

Time45m

Serves4

Make Hot & Sour Soup Recipe in just 45m. Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Broth & Seasoning

6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup water

3 tbs Aged soy sauce

3 tbs Rice vinegar

1 tbs Chinese black vinegar or additional rice vinegar

1 tsp White pepper

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

1 tsp Toasted sesame oil

Proteins & Mushrooms

8 oz boneless skinless chicken breast (thinly sliced) or firm tofu (julienned)

6 pieces dried shiitake mushrooms

4 oz fresh shiitake or cremini mushrooms (thinly sliced)

Aromatics & Vegetables

1 tbs fresh ginger (peeled and julienned)

2 cloves Garlic (minced)

3 oz bamboo shoots (julienned)

1/2 cup carrot (peeled and matchstick)

3 stalks green onions (thinly sliced, whites and greens separated)

Thickening & Egg

3 tsp Cornstarch

4 tbs cold water

2 units Large eggs

Spice & Finish

1 tbs chili paste or sriracha

1 tsp chili oil (optional)

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

0 to taste white pepper (to taste)

Method

Prepare dried mushrooms & proteins

Rehydrate mushrooms

Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Let soak 20–30 minutes until soft. Reserve soaking liquid by straining through a fine sieve or coffee filter to remove grit; add reserved liquid (about 1/2–3/4 cup) to the broth later.

If using chicken: slice breast very thinly against the grain (about 1/8" thick). If using tofu: press lightly to remove excess water and cut into thin matchsticks.

Thinly slice the rehydrated shiitake caps and set aside. Chop stems finely if desired to add to the broth.

Make the broth

In a large pot or Dutch oven, combine the 6 cups stock and 1 cup fresh water. Add the reserved mushroom soaking liquid from the previous step (about 1/2–3/4 cup) and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, Chinese black vinegar, white pepper, sugar and salt. Stir and taste; adjust vinegar or soy sauce to balance sour and salty. Reduce heat to medium-low so the broth simmers gently.

Add the ginger, garlic, bamboo shoots, carrots, and the fresh sliced mushrooms. Simmer 5 minutes to soften vegetables and allow flavors to blend.

Cook proteins & finish soup

Add the thinly sliced chicken (or tofu) to the simmering broth. Stir gently and poach until just cooked through: about 2–4 minutes for thin chicken, or 1–2 minutes for tofu to heat through.

Taste and adjust seasoning: add more rice vinegar for sourness, soy sauce for salt, or white pepper for heat. Stir in the sesame oil and chili paste (or sriracha). If you want more heat, add chili oil to taste.

Thicken the soup

Mix the cornstarch and 4 tablespoons cold water to make a smooth slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering soup while stirring gently. Continue to simmer 1–2 minutes until the soup slightly thickens and becomes glossy.

Add the egg

Beat the 2 eggs lightly in a small bowl. With the soup at a gentle simmer, slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the pot in a thin stream while stirring the soup in one direction with a fork or chopstick to create ribbons. Turn off the heat after the ribbons form and settle.

Stir in the sliced green onion whites and remove from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with green onion greens, toasted sesame seeds and an extra drizzle of chili oil if desired. Serve immediately.