Hot and Sour Soup

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Hot and Sour Soup is a classic Chinese soup that is easy to make. This comforting, flavorful soup can be on your table in 30 minutes.

Whenever we go out to a Chinese restaurant or order takeout, Hot and Sour Soup is one of our favorite things to get. It is a classic for a reason: it packs a ton of savory umami flavor. And guess what, it’s pretty easy to make at home. So skip the takeout and try it yourself!

The list of ingredients that you’ll need for hot and sour soup can seem a bit daunting as the ingredients might not necessarily be something that you’re familiar with. That said, you should be able to find most of the ingredients in the International aisle of your grocery store, for harder to find ingredients an Asian market will have them.

Let’s talk about what you’ll need to make it:

Hot and Sour Soup Ingredients:

• CHICKEN BROTH: I recommend using low-sodium chicken broth so that you can control the saltiness of the dish. If you want to keep this recipe vegetarian, you can substitute vegetable broth.
• VINEGAR: While there are many different types of vinegar on the market, white distilled vinegar works perfect for this.
• ALL PURPOSE SOY SAUCE: All purpose soy sauce will be the soy sauce that you see more often, like Kikkoman. This adds salty, umami flavor.
• DARK SOY SAUCE: Dark soy sauce is darker and sweeter than all-purpose soy sauce and gives this soup it’s characteristically brown color.
• OYSTER SAUCE: Is a thick savory sauce that is popular in Asian cooking. It’s made with oyster juices, salt and sugar.
• GROUND WHITE PEPPER: White pepper is traditional when making hot and sour soup and where the “hot” part of the soup comes from. White pepper has a much earthier flavor than black pepper.
• WATER/CORNSTARCH: This will make a slurry that will thicken the soup.
• BAMBOO SHOOTS: You should be able to find bamboo shoots in a can in the Asian food aisle. They add a crunchy texture to the soup.
• TOFU: Firm tofu works best for this recipe.
• FRESH GINGER: Peeled and minced fresh ginger adds both texture and flavor.
• DRIED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS: These should be readily available at the grocery store. After rehydrating them, be sure to slice them into small strips.
• WOOD EAR OR BLACK FUNGUS MUSHROOMS: Popular in Asian stir fries and have and earthy mild flavor. These might be the hardest ingredient to find. I found them at my local Asian market. If you can’t find them substitute more shiitake.
• EGGS: These will the soup the classic egg ribbons.
• GREEN ONIONS: Add a pop of color and a bit of oniony flavor. Optional.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

Making Hot and Sour Soup is relatively easy and it comes together quickly. Follow along with these step by step photos and instructions to guide you along the way.

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• STEP #1: Rehydrate the mushrooms by soaking them in water. Follow package instructions but this should take about 15 – 20 minutes.
• STEP #2: After the mushrooms have soaked, remove the stems of the shiitake mushrooms and slice into thin slices. Roughly chop wood ear mushrooms.
• STEP #3: In a large soup pot combine, chicken broth, ginger, vinegar, both soy sauces, oyster sauce and white paper pepper until simmering.
• STEP #4: Whisk together water and corn starch until smooth. Slowly whisk into soup. Continue simmering soup until broth thickens.
• STEP #5: Add in the bamboo shoots, tofu, shiitake and black mushrooms. Stir to combine.
• STEP #6: Beat eggs together in a measuring cup. While slowly stirring the soup, slowly drizzle in the eggs. This will create egg ribbons.
• STEP #7: Ladle into soup bowls, top with green onions. Serve.

Storage and Leftovers:

Allow soup to cool and then store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, simmer the soup over low heat on the stove until warmed through.

Recipe FAQ:

Looking for more Asian soup recipes? Check these out!

Chicken Udon Noodle Soup is an Asian twist on the classic.

Beef Noodle Soup is similar to Pho but easier to make!

If you want more Asian flavor, try these:

Creamy Peanut Sauce Noodles are perfect to whip on for a quick lunch or dinner.

Ground Turkey Stir Fry is like egg roll in a bowl and family favorite!