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hot and sour soup ready to eat!
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Hot and Sour Soup

Pungent and punchy, this gem from Chinese cooking is sure to warm you up in a cold winter day.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Soak Time1 hour
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Wok sub large pot

Ingredients

Pork Marinade

  • 1/2 cup lean pork like shoulder, loin, or butt julienned
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil sub vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp water

Rest of Soup

  • 1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms rehydrated and julienned
  • 1/2 cup dried wood ear mushroom rehydrated and julienned
  • 1/2 cup dried lily flowers rehydrated and julienned
  • 1/2 cup carrot julienned
  • 1/2 cup bamboo shoots julienned
  • 1/2 cup soft tofu julienned
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 dried chilis halved, optional
  • 1 thumb ginger thinly sliced
  • 6 cups chicken or pork stock low sodium, preferably Chinese-style
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup black vinegar sub rice vinegar or equal mix of white and balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • green onion and cilantro garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Soak dried ingredients. In a large bowl, submerge shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and lily flowers in hot water. Put a plate on top of the dried ingredients to ensure they stay submerged. Soak for 1 hour or until rehydrated.
  • Prepare the pork. Julienne pork into 2” x ¼” wide strips. Place in bowl. Toss with salt, sesame oil, and corn starch. Set aside to marinate.
  • Julienne vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu. Cut carrot, rehydrated mushrooms, lily flowers, bamboo shoots, and tofu into 2” x ¼” wide strips to match the pork size.
  • Fry aromatics. Heat vegetable oil in wok over medium heat. Slice ginger and halve chilis, and fry for 1 minute or until slightly toasted and fragrant. Do not overfry or they will burn.
  • Build soup. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add pork, stirring when in the stock to separate strips. Cook 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Add remaining julienned ingredients.
  • Add cornstarch. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and water well until completely combined (this is called a “slurry”). Ensure no cornstarch settles at the bottom of the bowl. Pour the slurry into the soup and stir. Heat until simmering.
  • Add egg. Lightly beat 2 eggs in the same bowl used for the cornstarch slurry. Pour the eggs into the soup slowly with one hand, stirring the soup slowly with the other. Turn heat off.
  • Add seasonings. Add both soy sauces, black vinegar, white pepper, sesame oil, and salt to taste. Adding these at the end keeps their flavours strong and pungent.
  • Garnish and serve! Ladle into bowls. Garnish with cilantro and green onions. Serve immediately. Sip and say “ahhh!”