Chef John's Hot and Sour Soup

I'm very excited to be sharing what is probably the most delicious soup I still haven't done a video for--unless I have and forgot. Yes, it's hot, and yes, it's sour, but it's also so much more, and other than a little bit of slicing and dicing, this is relatively fast and simple to make. This is almost always served as an appetizer in a Chinese restaurant, but if you added some pork to this, or some little fun-sized meatballs, it would make a fantastic meal. Serve with extra sliced green onions on top.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 193 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 4 cups chicken broth
• ½ cup bamboo shoots
• ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
• ¼ cup sliced green onions
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, or more to taste
• ¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
• ¼ cup grated carrot
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch, or as needed
• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced red bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons water, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste
• 1 cup cubed tofu
• ¾ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and slice into thin strips.

Step 2

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, ground white pepper, and sesame oil together in a small bowl for hot and sour mixture; set aside until needed.

Step 3

Whisk cornstarch and water together in another small bowl for slurry; set aside until needed.

Step 4

Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, sliced green onions, and shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring up to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 5

Stir in carrot, red pepper, bamboo shoots, tofu, and the hot and sour mixture. Let simmer for 5 minutes.

Step 6

Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Stir the soup slowly with a spoon while transferring in the beaten eggs in a steady stream to create thin ribbons. Keep stirring until the soup comes back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.

Step 7

Stir the cornstarch slurry to make sure it's well blended, then slowly drizzle it into the soup while stirring constantly. Soup should thicken up within 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat, taste for seasoning, and serve.