Hot and Sour soup is my go to when I need a boost to feel better. The heat from the white pepper and the sour from the vinegars, salt from soya sauce and umami from the mushrooms and the various textures from the pork and tofu make this soup a beautiful balanced meal.
What I find real comfort in, is a great bowl of soup. Whenever I feel under the weather Asian soups comfort me the best. I have a few favorites and one of them is definitely Hot and Sour soup. It is an Umami bomb in a bowl. All the ingredients blend into pure deliciousness and covers all the basic taste sensations that wakes up our senses. Sweet, sour, salty, spicy and umami. You can watch full video of this recipe on my YouTube Channel.
The soy sauce and chicken stock bring in the salty. The variety of dried mushrooms are classified as Umami on their own. The mushrooms are also meaty once they are rehydrated. I used dried shitake and black wood ear mushrooms. Both have their own unique texture that excites the touch senses in our mouths. Sweet is incorporated by sugar and dark soya sauce. Dark soya sauce is also classified as an umami ingredient as is sesame oil. White vinegar and Black vinegar give just the right amount of sour to this soup. The last basic taste that is integrated is spicy with the addition of white pepper and chili pepper oil.
The remaining ingredients add protein and vegetables that are healthy for us. You can add your choice of protein. I used pork for this recipe, in the past I have utilized chicken and shrimp and they were terrific as well. One protein that must be in the soup is tofu. Tofu absorbs flavors very well. It has a soft texture and is very high in protein.
In order to make authentic Hot and Sour Soup, there are other ingredients that I didn’t include. Those are dried lily flowers and bamboo shoots. I didn’t have them in my pantry. They are easily found in your Asian market. I don’t use those ingredients often, so I didn’t bother to purchase them. I replace bamboo shoots with carrots and red peppers. They both add flavor to the broth and more texture. I cut them in julienne slices, and they give a nice crisp texture in every spoonful.
There are 8 major Asian cuisines. Sichuan/Szechuan, Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian, Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, and Zhejiang.
Hot and Sour Soup originated in Sichuan Province in China and is therefore Sichuan Cuisine. Research has told me that the Hans Dynasty were the first to write a recipe for Hot and Sour Soup.
There are similar versions in other major Asian cuisines as well, but Sichuan’s version is the most widely known around the world.
Hot and Sour soup was first created as a medicine. It's ingredients give the body needed antioxidants and nutrients to fight off disease. It gives us Proteins and Fiber and Vitamins A and C. It is still beneficial to our bodies today. I always feel really good after eating this soup.
This recipe requires quite a bit of ingredients. Each ingredient is very important in the taste of the dish. So take the time to gather every item. It also makes the next step of preparing those items so much easier.
There is definitely a lot of ingredients to chop in this step. First step you need to do is soak your mushrooms in a bowl of hot water until they are saturated.
While the mushrooms are soaking start to julienne slice all your vegetables. Ensure that they are all the same size and not too long as you want them to fit on a spoon.
Now for the tofu. Slice it in julienne style as well. It can be a little larger than vegetables as it is one of the main proteins in this dish. Keep it about 1/8 to ¼ inch thick.
Once the mushrooms are hydrated remove them from the water and julienne slice them just like the other ingredients. Keep the water from the mushrooms as we will need that in the next step.
The broth is the umami of this dish. It absorbs the flavors of the vegetables and gives flavors to the tofu.
First step is place chicken stock in pan and start heating it up.
Pour 3/4 of the water into the stock.. The last quarter of the water has granules we don't want. Ensure you don't add that. Use a fine mesh strainer if you want to filter out the granules.
Add the salt, sugar, dried chili pepper (if using), white pepper, both soy sauces, and sesame oil. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat.
Next add meat, tofu and mushrooms and vegetables to broth.
Let broth simmer for a bit to absorb and blend all the flavors and to cook the carrot and red pepper. I simmer it for 20 mins.
Bring broth to boil and add corn starch slurry. Stir the broth until soup is a thickness you like.
Add in ¼ c each of both white and black vinegars in a cup. If you don’t have black vinegar, just use white vinegar. Add both vinegars in portions and taste test it as you go until you get the exact sourness that you like.
Scramble one egg in a small dish.
Stir soup in circular motions and then add one egg.
Continue stirring in circular motion and you will get nice streams of egg in the soup.
Your Hot and Sour Soup is now ready to serve. Enjoy!Servings 4
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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