Hot and Sour Soup
Can you deal with the heat??
Hot and Sour Soup is what I order whilst I cross out for Chinese and am pretending/trying to be healthy.
Hot and Sour Soup can also be what I order simply simply due to the fact I love it.
OK, properly alongside with Spring Rolls, Chinese Corn Soup, San Choy Bow (Lettuce Wraps), Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelettes) and Sesame Toast. It’s an all-out war of indecision, making an attempt to judge what starter to have!
I by way of means of no means concept to make it at residence till I occurred throughout this recipe from Woks of Life. It’s my go-to site for Chinese recipes, run by way of means of a Chinese American household who used to run a Chinese restaurant!
What is hot and sour soup??
Hot and Sour soup is a Chinese soup that’s savoury, spicy and tangy. The broth is thickened and it’s crammed with mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and silky egg ribbons. The flavour and textures on this soup are an addictive combination, making it a agency Chinese restaurant favourite!
THE SOUP BROTH
Chinese Hot and Sour soup broth is made with fowl inventory that's flavoured with traditional Asian meals akin to soy sauce, sugar, pepper and ginger. The soup is thickened reasonably utilizing cornstarch/cornflour – I love how the modern broth coats the meals whilst you scoop it up!
The spiciness comes from finely chopped dried chillies. Red pepper / chilli flakes are a excellent substitute. Feel unfastened to regulate spiciness in your taste!
The sourness comes from plain white vinegar. Some recipes use Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar, but I actually suppose white vinegar provides the cleanest flavour.
Ingredients for hot and sour soup broth - fowl or vegetable broth, soy sauce, sesame, vinegar, chilli, ginger, cornstarch, pepper, sugar
AND THE STUFF THAT GOES IN HOT AND SOUR SOUP
Dried shiitake mushrooms
wood ear mushrooms
bamboo shoots
firm tofu
egg
shredded fowl (or drop in slices of tenderised Velveted Chicken)
shallots/scallions
Because there’s a couple of meals that aren’t mainstream here, I’m going to do a quickly rundown on every of them. If you’re bored, skip to the recipe!
What is going in Hot and Sour Soup
THE MUSHROOMS
Dried shiitake mushrooms – dried is finest as it has the finest flavour, so in case you happen to actually desire one as sensible as how your favorite Chinese restaurant makes it, you’ll must supply some. Sold at important supermarkets nowadays, and likewise Asian stores. Subs: Fresh shiitake is good, adopted by way of means of any different Asian mushrooms, Swiss Brown/Cremini mushrooms and bringing up the rear is sensible ole’ white mushrooms
Wood ear mushrooms – named as such simply due to the fact they're formed like ears (does that freak you out? 🙀), they have a smooth crunchy texture. Wood ear mushrooms don’t have a lot style whilst raw, but they're a huge flavour sponge as properly as together with huge texture to the soup. Use recent or dried – I use recent simply due to the fact it’s bought at a native grocery shop (eg Harris Farms). All Asian shops have to hold dried, and a few could have fresh. Subs: More shiitake mushrooms.
Mushrooms for Hot and Sour Soup - dried shiitake mushrooms and wooden ear mushrooms
AND THE OTHER STUFF IN HOT AND SOUR SOUP
Bamboo shoots – bought in cans at enormous grocery shops (Woolies, Coles, Harris), they have a crisp juicy texture and have a refined taste. Mainly for texture on this soup. Subs: Any vegetable with a identical texture that may be cut into strips, like carrot, inexperienced beans, stalk of broccoli or cauliflower, or Asian greens. Use leftovers for stir fries, it’s ideal!
FIRM Tofu – Make certain it’s a agency tofu otherwise it's going to disintegrate whilst stirred. Squeeze the packet to be sure! If you may purely get smooth tofu, deal with delicately and stir it in proper on the end.
Chicken – I desire to have a little bit of protein in my Hot and Sour Soup, plus it’s poached within the broth so it provides flavour. But it is non-obligatory – there’s lots of stuff on this soup even without! Alternatives: Shrimp/prawns, items of fish.
Eggs – to make the signature silky egg ribbons!
Shallots – aka scallions, inexperienced onions
How to make it
While the record of meals appears lengthy, the making edge may be very instantly forward. Also, this recipe has a sensible circulation to it so it have to be achieved from jump to finish, together with prep time, in about 40 minutes:
Start by way of means of soaking the shiitake mushrooms to rehydrate them
Pour the fowl inventory into the pot and as it’s coming to the simmer, degree out and upload all of the flavourings
While the fowl is poaching, get all of the different “stuff” for the soup ready (chop mushrooms, bamboo shoots and the like etc)
Tip all of it within the pot and end by way of means of thickening the Hot and Sour Soup with cornstarch / cornflour and together with egg to make the egg ribbons
Calories in Hot and Sour Soup – simply 216 calories!!!
A giant bowl of spicy-tangy-savoury-hearty deliciousness, and it’s simply 216 calories. There are only a few Chinese takeout favourites which are this healthy!
Hot and Sour Soup
Ingredients:
220 g / 7oz chook breast
12 dried shiitake mushrooms (or 150g/5oz fresh) (Note 1)
1/2 cup wooden ear mushrooms , chopped 1.5cm/ 3/5" items (Note 1)
HOT AND SOUR SOUP BROTH:
1 tsp dried chilli / red pepper flakes , regulate spice to style (Note 2)
2 tsp darkish soy sauce (Note 3)
1 tbsp pale soy sauce (Note 3)
1 tsp ginger , finely grated
1/2 tsp white pepper (sub black)
6 cups (1.5L/1.5qt) chook or veg stock/broth , low sodium
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup (65 ml) white vinegar (adjust to taste)
SOUP:
125 g / 4oz agency tofu (~ 1 cup) , cut into 1.2cm / 0.5" cubes (Note 4)
1/4 cup bamboo shoots , thinly sliced (Note 5)
2 eggs , whisked
1/4 cup (40g) cornstarch/cornflour
1/4 cup (125 ml) water
Salt to taste
1 shallot/scallion , finely sliced
Instructions:
Cover shiitake mushrooms with lots of boiling water. Stand 20 - 30 minutes till soft, drain, then slice thinly. (Discard or reserve liquid for different use)
POACHED CHICKEN:
Place chook broth, ginger, soy sauces, chilli, sugar and sesame oil in a big pot over medium excessive heat.
Once simmering, upload chicken, disguise and scale back warmth so it is simmering.
Cook 10 minutes, take away chook and shred.
FINISH SOUP:
Add vinegar, shiitake, wooden ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu and shredded chook into the soup.
Stir, simmer for 10 minutes.
Mix cornflour with water. While stirring soup at a medium pace, slowly pour the cornflour combination in (ensures no lumps).
When it begins simmering again, stir continually and slowly pour egg in a skinny movement - this could likely create the signature "egg ribbons".
Taste - upload salt if desired, extra chilli in case you want.
Add shallots and serve!
Recipe Notes:
1. Mushrooms - for probably probably the foremost actual flavour, use dried shiitake mushrooms. The flavour is extra extreme than fresh, and the feel is better. If you notice it is nonetheless agency within the heart when slicing, positioned in broth first to end rehydrating. Best sub is sis brown/cremini mushrooms, or different Asian mushrooms.
Wood ear mushrooms also are an main aspect for a real Chinese restaurant trip (see submit for extra info). Sold at a few grocery shops (Harris Farms) and Asian groceries. If dried, soak with shiitake for 30 min. Can be skipped - use extra shiitake.
2. Chilli - actual models use finely chopped dried Asian chillies. Deseed to make them much less spicy. Red pepper / chilli flakes is a advantageous to make use of too - truly cannot style the difference.
3. Soy sauce - can sub darkish soy with extra pale soy, or equally for all objective soy sauce. Do now not use simply darkish soy sauce, broth flavour too strong.
4. Tofu - ought to be agency so it does now not disintegrate when soup is stirred. Just truly revel in the packet - the firmer the higher (but now not rock hard!). If you possibly can purely notice mushy tofu, stir it in gently proper on the end.
5. Bamboo shoots - offered sliced in tins offered at big supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. Need approx 1/3 of a 230g/7oz can. Use leftovers in stir fries, fabulous texture!
6. Storage / reheating - It retains 100 pc perfectly within the fridge, I've been recognized to maintain it as much as 5 days. Reheat on the stove. Freezing will have an effect on the thickness simply due to the fact cornflour/cornstarch does now not work as nicely as soon as frozen. Easy restore - simply thaw, reheat and upload extra cornflour/water combination till it is the thickness you desire (follow similar recipe steps to slowly upload whereas stirring).