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Hot and Sour Soup

A from-scratch hot and sour soup with wood ears, bamboo shoots, barbecued pork, tofu, and a feathered egg finish.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 dried Chinese fungi about 1 oz, such as wood ears or cloud ears
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger peeled and grated
  • 1 tbsp red chile paste such as sambal oelek
  • 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots sliced
  • 1/4 lb barbecued pork shredded
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground white pepper
  • Pinch of sugar
  • 2 quarts Chinese chicken stock see notes
  • 1 square firm tofu drained and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • Chopped green onions and cilantro for garnish

Method
 

  1. Put the wood ears in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes to reconstitute. Drain, rinse, and discard any hard clusters in the centers.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok or large pot over medium-high. Add the ginger, chile paste, wood ears, bamboo shoots, and pork; cook and stir 1 minute to infuse the flavor.
  3. Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, white pepper, and sugar and pour it into the wok; toss together. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and simmer 10 minutes. Add the tofu and cook 3 minutes.
  4. Stir the cornstarch slurry until smooth and mix it into the soup; simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in one direction to get a current going, then stop stirring. Slowly pour in the beaten egg in a steady stream so it feathers into the broth.
  5. Garnish with chopped green onions and cilantro before serving.

Notes

Chinese Chicken Stock (makes about 2 quarts): Put a 4-pound whole chicken in a large stockpot with 1 bunch green onions (halved), 4 smashed garlic cloves, a 3-inch piece of ginger whacked open, 1 halved onion, and 1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns. Add about 3 quarts cold water to cover by 1 inch. Simmer gently, uncovered, 1 hour, skimming the foam. Remove the chicken and strain the stock through cheesecloth. Cool before storing.