Hot and Sour Soup
The real deal — tangy, spicy, thick, and loaded with mushrooms and tofu. Better than takeout and ready in 20 minutes.
Soups & Stews · Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min · Serves 4 · Easy · By Tina · Published
Ingredients
- 1 L chicken or vegetable stock
- 100 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 150 g firm tofu, cut into thin strips
- 100 g bamboo shoots, sliced
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper, or to taste
- 2 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 3 tbsp water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chili oil, optional
I order this every time I get Chinese food. Then I realized it is one of the easiest soups to make at home, and the homemade version blows the restaurant version away because you can control the spice and sour levels.
The magic is in the balance — white pepper for heat (not chili, white pepper), rice vinegar for tang, and a cornstarch slurry to give it that signature silky thickness. The egg ribbons at the end are the final touch and they take about 10 seconds to add.
Once you get the ratio right, this becomes a 20-minute dinner that feels like a warm hug.
Pro Tips
- Use WHITE pepper, not black. It gives a different kind of heat — more aromatic, less sharp.
- Stir the cornstarch slurry constantly as you add it. Lumps are the enemy.
- Drizzle the egg in slowly through the tines of a fork while stirring gently. This makes ribbons, not scrambled egg.
- Taste and adjust vinegar and pepper at the end. Everyone likes a different balance.
Serving
Ladle into deep bowls, drizzle with sesame oil and chili oil. Serve with steamed rice or on its own with a side of pot stickers.
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