Hot & Sour Soup Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Drain tofu and cut into 1/2-inch strips or small cubes. Drain canned bamboo shoots and julienne if needed. Clean and thinly slice shiitake mushrooms and any additional mushrooms. Mince garlic, julienne ginger, and thinly slice green onions separating white and green parts. Lightly beat eggs in a small bowl and set aside. In a small bowl whisk cornstarch with 3 tbs cold water to make a smooth slurry.

Heat 1 tbs neutral oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add minced garlic and julienned ginger and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant, stirring so they don't burn. Add the sliced shiitake and optional wood ear mushrooms and cook 2–3 minutes until they begin to soften.

Add the drained bamboo shoots and the white parts of the green onions; cook 1 minute more to warm through.

Pour in 6 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth and 1 cup water. Increase heat to bring to a gentle boil.

Stir in soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, Sichuan chili paste, white pepper, and 1 tsp salt. Taste and adjust heat or acidity as desired (add more chili paste for spice, more vinegar for tang).

Add the tofu pieces gently to the simmering broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 3–4 minutes so tofu warms and absorbs flavor.

Give the cornstarch slurry a quick stir (it may settle), then slowly pour it into the simmering soup while stirring gently. Continue to simmer 1–2 minutes until the broth slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon. If you prefer thinner soup, stop here; for thicker, add up to 1 additional tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp cold water.

With the soup at a gentle simmer, slowly drizzle the beaten eggs in a thin stream while stirring the soup in one direction with a chopstick or fork to form silky egg ribbons. Turn off the heat as soon as the egg is set, about 15–30 seconds.

Stir in 1 tsp sesame oil and the green parts of the sliced green onion. Adjust seasoning with salt, more soy sauce, or white pepper to taste.

Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving with chili oil and an extra drop of black vinegar if desired. Garnish with chopped cilantro or additional green onion. Serve hot.