Hot And Sour Soup(bowl) Recipe

Name: Panda Cuisines Hot And Sour Soup(Bowl) Recipe
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock; 1 cup water; 2 tbs light soy sauce; 3 tbs rice vinegar; 1 tbs shaoxing wine or dry sherry; 1 tsp chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek; 1 tsp white pepper; 1 tsp salt; 6 oz firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch strips or small cubes; 4 oz boneless cooked chicken breast, shredded (or thinly sliced raw chicken breast); 3 dried shiitake mushrooms; 1 cup bamboo shoots, julienned (canned, drained); 1 small carrot, julienne; 2 stalks green onions / scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated); 2 tsp cornstarch; 2 tbs cold water (for slurry); 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1 tsp sesame oil; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp corn oil or neutral oil (for sautéing mushrooms/veggies)

Inspired by Panda Cuisine

Time35m

Serves1

Bowl size

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Ingredients

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Soup Base

4 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 cup water

2 tbs light soy sauce

3 tbs Rice vinegar

1 tbs shaoxing wine or dry sherry

1 tsp chili garlic sauce or sambal oelek

1 tsp White pepper

1 tsp Celtic sea salt

Proteins & Vegetables

6 oz firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch strips or small cubes

4 oz boneless cooked chicken breast, shredded (or thinly sliced raw chicken breast)

3 dried shiitake mushrooms

1 cup bamboo shoots, julienned (canned, drained)

1 small carrot, julienne

2 stalks green onions / scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)

Thickener & Finishing

2 tsp Cornstarch

2 tbs cold water (for slurry)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp Toasted sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp corn oil or neutral oil (for sautéing mushrooms/veggies)

Method

Soup Base

Prepare mushrooms

Place dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl and cover with 1 cup hot water. Soak 20–30 minutes until softened. Reserve soaking liquid by straining it through a fine sieve or paper towel to remove grit; add the liquid to the stock and thinly slice the mushrooms.

Combine liquids

In a medium pot, combine 4 cups stock and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid plus 1 cup water. Bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, shaoxing wine, chili garlic sauce, white pepper, and sugar to the simmering liquid. Stir and taste; adjust salt (up to 1 tsp) and vinegar/chili balance to your preference (hot and sour should be noticeably tangy and mildly spicy).

Proteins & Vegetables

If using raw chicken: thinly slice breast across the grain and add to simmering broth. Poach for 3–4 minutes until cooked through, then remove with a slotted spoon, shred or thinly slice, and set aside. If using pre-cooked chicken: skip poaching and add shredded chicken later.

Heat 1 tsp neutral oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and julienned carrot; sauté 1–2 minutes until they begin to soften and release aroma. Add sautéed vegetables to the simmering broth along with bamboo shoots and tofu pieces. Simmer gently 3–4 minutes so tofu heats through and flavors meld.

Add most of the white part of the sliced scallions (reserve green tops for garnish) and the shredded/cooked chicken back into the pot. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil) before adding the slurry.

Thickener & Finishing

Make the cornstarch slurry by whisking 2 tsp cornstarch with 2 tbs cold water until smooth. With the soup at a gentle simmer, slowly pour the slurry into the pot while stirring the soup in a steady circular motion. The soup will thicken within 30–60 seconds. Add more slurry (in 1 tsp cornstarch increments) if you prefer a thicker texture.

Reduce heat to low. Slowly drizzle the lightly beaten egg into the simmering soup in a thin stream while stirring the soup gently in one direction to create silky ribbons. Do not boil after adding the egg to preserve texture.

Stir in 1 tsp sesame oil for aroma and adjust seasoning—add a little more soy for saltiness, extra rice vinegar for tartness, or more chili garlic for heat. Taste and adjust to desired hot-and-sour balance.

Ladle the soup into a bowl. Garnish with the reserved green parts of the scallions and a few drops of sesame oil or an extra crack of white pepper. Serve immediately.