Believe it or not, it is still cool and dark and dreary enough here to be craving the comforts of soup. One of my favourite soups that I am super picky about is Hot and Sour Soup. I am very sensitive to heat and yes, I do want a little kick in this soup but many places I have had it make it too hot! At least for me. Oh how I love that I can make my own food the way I want it.
This recipe is also inspired by this out of print book I got out of the library but I changed it a lot! As usual. Please feel free to make it vegetarian by using firm tofu. If you do, I recommend marinating it in a vegetarian mushroom sauce first and then sauteing it before you add the broth.
Suzie’s Hot and Sour Soup
2 oz of chopped chicken
1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup peeled, uncooked shrimp
4 cups of chicken stock
1/2 can of sliced bamboo shoots
3 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp tamari soy sauce
1-2 tsp Asian chili sauce (I personally used just under 1 tsp)
1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
Dash of sesame oil
1 well beaten egg
2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Saute mushrooms in a Dutch oven/soup pot. Add stock, chicken and shrimp. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn down the heat. Simmer gently 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except egg and cornstarch. Cook 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat, stir the soup and gradually add in egg swirling the broth.
- Add some of the broth to the water and cornstarch mixture. Put into soup and simmer 1 minute until thickened. Add a little smidge of sesame oil, if desired.
Lovely! This soup was wonderful on a cool afternoon here on a dark Nova Scotia summer’s day. It is fast, easy, healthy and delicious. I hope you try it! Although I am sure it probably feels like summer wherever you are if you are in the Northern hemisphere.
I’ve been thinking about winter and I realized that I miss it! The reason? I like winter foods better. Soups especially. I’m not going to have as many chances to cook like I want to this winter because I’ll be at school. I’m going to miss that a lot.
Yum! We love hot and sour soup. I can’t wait to try your recipe.
Mmmmmm, looks good!
Yum! This sounds really good. We have a Chinese restaurant near us who makes the BEST hot and sour. I wish I could talk Ming out of his recipe!! 🙂
Looks very restorative!