Authentic Chinese hot sour soup

This is one of my favorite foods in the entire world, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Hot Sour Soup

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Hot sour soup

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 6

Calories: 261kcal

An authentic version of a restaurant favorite

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 oz. ground pork
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame oil
• 0.3 ounce dried wood ear mushrooms ½ cup after rehydrating & slicing
• 0.3 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms ½ cup after rehydrating & slicing
• 4 ounces extra firm tofu cut into 1" long and ¼" thick strips
• 4 ounces bamboo shoots cut into strips
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 scallion cut on the bias
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 teaspoons dark soy or mushroom soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• ¼ cup water

Instructions

Hydrate the mushrooms

• Place the dried mushrooms in two separate bowls,. Cover with 1 cup hot water each and allow to hydrate for 1 hour before slicing. Reserve the liquid in the bowls.

To make the soup

• Heat the sesame oil in a soup pot over medium high heat. Add the pork, and cook until browned.
• Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add the salt, sugar, dried chili pepper (if using), white pepper, both soy sauces, and the reserved liquid from the mushrooms.
• Next, add the mushrooms and bamboo shoots and bring the soup back to a simmer.
• Next, add the tofu and the vinegar and stir.
• In a small bowl, mix the water and the cornstarch. With one hand, stir the soup in a circular motion, and with the other, slowly drizzle in ¾ of the cornstarch mixture. This will keep it from clumping. Check the thickness of the soup, and add the rest of the slurry if you'd like it thicker.
• Check the soup for seasoning, adding more white pepper for heat and more rice vinegar for more sour.
• Bring the soup to a high simmer, and while stirring in a circular motion with one hand, forming a whirlpool, slowly drizzle in the egg with the other hand.
• Serve garnished with the scallions.

Nutrition

Calories: 261kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 78mg | Sodium: 783mg | Potassium: 493mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 113IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg