Favorite Recipe: Hot & Sour Soup

There is a chinese restaurant here in town that I love, and 90% of the reason is because they make some delicious hot and sour soup.  It has all of the things that I like...lots of sour and some good heat.  This recipe that I put together is strikingly similar, just without the shrimp and scallops.  Of course, you could add those too!  For those of you that don't like so much heat, just omit the chili oil in this recipe.  You can put it on the table and let everyone adjust the heat to their liking.  If you want it even milder, leave out the sriracha too...this will put the heat at the kid level.  I highly recommend serving this soup with a recipe for egg rolls that RandomMommy shared with me (see below).  They are killer!  Also, this soup freezes very well for a meal at a later date.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon chili oil

1/2 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce

1 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots

1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts

1 square of firm tofu, drained and sliced into 1/4 inch strips

3 tablespoons cornstarch whisked with 1/4 cup water

1 large egg, lightly beaten

chopped green onions, garnish (optional)

Directions:

1) Mix together first seven ingredients (chicken stock through white pepper) in a large pot and heat to a boil.  

2) Add mushrooms, bamboo, and water chestnuts.  Simmer for 10 minutes.

3) Add tofu and cook an additional 3 minutes.

4) In a separate bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water until smooth.  Add cornstarch mixture to soup and continue to simmer until soup slightly thickens.

5) Turn heat to low setting.  Stir soup in one direction to get a current going, then stop stirring.  Slowly pour in beaten egg in a steady stream.  Egg will cook immediately and feather in the broth.  

6) Soup can be kept warm over low heat until ready to serve.  Garnish with sliced green onions.

Recipe for RandomMommy's Rockin' Egg Rolls

Recipe for Chinese Hot Mustard

Recipe for Sweet and Sour Sauce