Hot and Sour Soup
Skip the takeout, and make this classic Chinese soup in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
-
4 fresh or dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1 1/2 inches wide)
-
8 cups lower-sodium chicken stock
-
2 boneless center-cut pork chops (about 3/4 inch thick), cut into thin strips
-
2/3 cup Chinese black vinegar or white vinegar
-
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup), plus more for garnish (optional)
-
1/4 cup shredded bamboo shoots, drained and rinsed
-
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
-
2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce (optional)
-
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
-
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
-
1 (16-ounce) pkg. silken tofu, drained and cut into thin strips
-
1/4 cup cornstarch
-
1/4 cup water
-
2 large eggs, beaten
Direction
-
Thinly slice fresh shiitake mushroom caps, discarding tough stems. (Or soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water; cover until softened. Discard tough stems; thinly slice mushroom caps.)
-
Bring stock to a boil in a large pot over medium-high. Add pork and mushrooms; simmer until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in vinegar, scallions, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, chile-garlic sauce (if using), sesame oil, and white pepper until combined; gently stir in tofu.
-
Stir together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water in a bowl until smooth and no lumps remain. Stirring gently and constantly, slowly pour cornstarch mixture in a steady stream into pot; cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Gently stir soup in 1 direction to create a whirlpool. Slowly pour beaten eggs into soup in a thin stream to form egg drops. Garnish with additional scallions (if using).
