Simple Hot and Sour Soup

This is a simple, yet flavor-packed Chinese soup. Tofu is simmered with bamboo shoot, shiitake mushrooms, cloud ear mushrooms, ham, and eggs in a hot and sour soup base. Garnish soup with cilantro or spring onions.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Calories: 185 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons water
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons vinegar
• 1 ¾ ounces dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 ounce dried cloud ear mushrooms
• ½ (12 ounce) package silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, cut into thin matchstick-size pieces
• 10 fluid ounces chicken stock
• 2 ounces cooked ham, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine
• 2 teaspoons corn flour

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place shiitake mushrooms and cloud ear mushrooms in a bowl of water; soak until softened, about 30 minutes. Drain and finely chop the mushrooms.

Step 2

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add tofu and cook for 1 minute. Remove using a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Bring water back to a boil and add bamboo shoots; cook for 1 minute. Drain and set bamboo shoots aside.

Step 3

Mix vinegar and white pepper together in a bowl.

Step 4

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and ham; return to a boil. Add tofu, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and salt; bring back to a boil.

Step 5

Mix corn flour and water together in a bowl until dissolved; stir into chicken stock mixture until soup starts to thicken. Drizzle beaten eggs into soup, stirring gently to form cooked egg clumps, 2 to 3 minutes.

Step 6

Stir vinegar-pepper mixture into soup and drizzle in sesame oil.