Hot And Sour Soup
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Did you know that you can make restaurant-style Hot And Sour Soup in just a few minutes at home! It’s super quick and easy to make, and you can adapt it to your personal taste! This Hot And Sour Soup is incredibly delicious, hearty, sour and as spicy as you like it!
Hot And Sour Soup
I remember years ago when I first got married and I was trying to impress my husband with my cooking skills, I made my first Hot and Sour soup. I had bought a book with Chinese recipes and chose this soup because it’s my favorite whenever I go to a Chinese restaurant. As I remember, it turned out really well, but I was so overwhelmed with everything that I needed to do that I didn’t make it again for a few years.
Well since then, I realized that this hot and sour soup doesn’t have to be that hard to make. With my recipe, you can’t go wrong. You only need a few ingredients, and less than 30 minutes! This soup is incredibly easy to make! My favorite thing about it is that you can easily customize it and use your favorite veggies or proteins.
What You’ll Need To Make Hot And Sour Soup
- Mushrooms – Shiitake mushrooms are a must in this soup. Other mushrooms you can add are enoki mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms or even some oyster mushrooms.
- Carrots – You’ll need only a carrot julienned.
- Tofu – Firm tofu is also a must in a good hot and sour soup. You can also add some cooked chicken or pork if you want for additional protein.
- Bamboo Shoots – I love bamboo shoots and I think they are amazing in this soup. If you don’t like them, you can skip them.
- Broth – I used chicken broth but if you’re looking for a true vegetarian version you can add vegetable broth.
- Soy Sauce – I like to add a bit of dark soy sauce to darken the soup a bit, but also regular low sodium soy sauce for additional flavor.
- Vinegar – Just plain white vinegar is needed to give us that sour taste we love.
- Cornstarch – We just need a bit of cornstarch mixed with some water to thicken the broth.
- Eggs – Whisked eggs are added to the soup to create beautiful egg ribbons.
- Sesame Oil – I love to garnish this soup when serving with a bit of sesame oil for that extra flavor.
- White Pepper – If you have it, I strongly recommend using white pepper because it has a different and stronger flavor than black pepper.
How To Make Hot And Sour Soup
- Add veggies and broth: In a large pot or saucepan, add the carrots, mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Stir in soy sauce and simmer: Add the white pepper, dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, and vinegar. Continue simmering for another 3 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened.
- Thicken the soup: Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for another minute until the soup has thickened.
- Drizzle in eggs and season: Stirring the soup in a circular motion, drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream to create egg ribbons. Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and vinegar for a more vinegary taste.
- Garnish and serve: Serve in bowls with a drizzle of sesame oil and garnish with green onions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is hot and sour soup?
Hot and sour soup is an Asian mushroom soup usually made with tofu or chicken that is sour, a bit spicy and savory.
How do I convert this soup recipe to vegetarian?
Instead of chicken broth, use a good low sodium vegetarian broth.
What other vegetables and proteins can I add to this soup?
Other great veggies you an add are napa cabbage or bok choy. Other proteins are chicken, shrimp, or pork.
Tips For Making Hot And Sour Soup
- For additional protein you can add some cooked chicken or pork to the soup. Shrimp is also a good addition.
- Make sure the tofu is firm tofu otherwise it might fall apart in the soup.
- Feel free to experiment with other spices like some ground ginger, or some cayenne pepper for some heat.
- When pouring the eggs, don’t pour too fast, you want to go slow to get nice egg ribbons.
- Don’t add the sesame oil until the end as garnish, if you add it to the soup the oil will blend in and you won’t taste it as much.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze it for several weeks.
More Delicious Recipes To Try
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Hot And Sour Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 1 small carrot (julienned)
- 7 ounces shiitake mushrooms (sliced, stems removed)
- 4 ounces firm tofu (sliced)
- 4 ounces bamboo shoots (strips (canned))
- 6 cups chicken broth (low sodium or no sodium added)
- 1 teaspoon white pepper (ground)
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium )
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
- 2 large eggs (beaten)
- salt (to taste)
To Serve
- sesame oil
- 2 green onions (sliced on the diagonal)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Add veggies and broth: In a large pot or saucepan, add the carrots, mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Stir in soy sauce and simmer: Add the white pepper, dark soy sauce, regular soy sauce, and vinegar. Continue simmering for another 3 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened.
- Thicken the soup: Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook for another minute until the soup has thickened.
- Drizzle in eggs and season: Stirring the soup in a circular motion, drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream to create egg ribbons. Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and vinegar for a more vinegary taste.
- Garnish and serve: Serve in bowls with a drizzle of sesame oil and garnish with green onions.
Notes
- For additional protein you can add some cooked chicken or pork to the soup. Shrimp is also a good addition.
- Make sure the tofu is firm tofu otherwise it might fall apart in the soup.
- Feel free to experiment with other spices like some ground ginger, or some cayenne pepper for some heat.
- When pouring the eggs, don’t pour too fast, you want to go slow to get nice egg ribbons.
- Don’t add the sesame oil until the end as garnish, if you add it to the soup the oil will blend in and you won’t taste it as much.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. You can also freeze it for several weeks.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
