Hot & Sour With Shrimp Toast Recipe

Prepare shrimp paste

Pat shrimp dry and roughly chop. Place shrimp in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground (you want some texture). Add grated ginger, minced garlic, chopped scallions (reserve a pinch for garnish), light soy sauce, sesame oil, egg white, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Pulse until mixture forms a tacky paste but still slightly textured — do not over-process into a smooth purée.

Prepare bread

Trim crusts from bread slices if not done. Lightly flatten each slice with a rolling pin to about 1/4-inch thickness so they hold the topping better.

Assemble toasts

Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread about 2 tablespoons of shrimp mixture evenly onto one side of each bread slice, covering most of the surface but leaving a small border. Sprinkle the tops with toasted sesame seeds and the reserved scallion bits (optional).

Fry shrimp toasts

In a wide skillet or shallow frying pan, pour oil to a depth of about 1/4 inch and heat over medium heat until shimmering (about 350°F / 175°C if using a thermometer). Gently place toasts shrimp-side down into the oil. Cook 2–3 minutes until shrimp topping is golden at the edges, then carefully flip and cook the bread side 1–2 minutes until golden and crisp. If oil bubbles aggressively, lower heat to avoid burning. Work in batches to avoid crowding.

Drain and keep warm

Transfer fried shrimp toasts to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray to drain briefly. Keep warm in a 200°F (95°C) oven while finishing remaining batches. Taste and adjust salt/pepper if needed.

Prepare mushrooms and aromatics

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes, then squeeze out excess water and slice thinly. Reserve soaking liquid, skim any grit, and add to stock if desired for extra flavor. Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add sliced ginger; sauté 30 seconds until aromatic.

Cook base

Add chicken or vegetable stock to the saucepan along with sliced mushrooms and bamboo shoots. Bring to a simmer and cook 4–5 minutes to meld flavors.

Add tofu and season

Stir in tofu matchsticks, rice vinegar, dark soy sauce, white pepper, chili garlic sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust vinegar and chili for your preferred balance of sour and spicy — hot & sour should be bright and tangy with a noticeable peppery heat.

Thicken and finish with egg

Mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water to make a slurry. While stirring the simmering soup in a gentle circular motion, slowly pour in the slurry; soup will slightly thicken within 1 minute. Reduce heat to low. Slowly drizzle the beaten egg into the soup in a thin stream while stirring gently to create silky ribbons. Turn off heat.

Final seasoning and garnish

Adjust seasoning with additional rice vinegar (start with 1/2 teaspoon more) or salt if necessary, and a touch more chili if you want extra heat. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with thinly sliced scallions and a light grind of black or white pepper.

Serve with shrimp toast

Serve hot & sour soup in shallow bowls with 2 shrimp toasts per person alongside or set crisp shrimp toasts on top of bowls for dipping. Enjoy immediately so toasts remain crunchy.