Hot and Sour Soup

A balanced Chinese hot-and-sour soup with mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and egg ribbons in a peppery vinegar broth.

Jump to ingredients | Jump to method

The character of hot-and-sour soup comes from the final balance of vinegar and white pepper, so this method keeps those flavours adjustable until the end.

Ingredients

• 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
• 200 g firm tofu (cut into thin strips)
• 100 g shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
• 120 g bamboo shoots (julienned)
• 50 g wood ear mushrooms (rehydrated and sliced)
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
• 1 tsp white pepper (freshly ground)
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 tbsp cold water
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 spring onions (thinly sliced)
• 10 g fresh ginger (finely grated)
• salt (to taste)

Step-by-step method

1. Place the stock in a saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer. Add the ginger, shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots and wood ear mushrooms, then simmer for 8–10 minutes until the mushrooms are tender.
2. Add the tofu carefully so the strips do not break apart. Stir in the light soy and dark soy sauce and let the soup return to a gentle simmer for 2 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until completely smooth. Stir the soup in one direction while slowly pouring in the slurry.
4. Simmer for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth looks slightly glossy and is thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. It should still be a soup, not a sauce.
5. Reduce the heat so the surface is barely moving. Slowly drizzle in the beaten egg in a thin stream while gently stirring the soup in circles. Leave it for 20 seconds so soft ribbons form.
6. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the black vinegar and most of the white pepper. Taste carefully, then add more vinegar for sourness and more white pepper for heat. This is easier to control than adding everything at once.
7. Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Taste for salt, ladle into bowls and finish with spring onions. Serve immediately because the egg ribbons are most delicate when freshly cooked.