Rice Cooker Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tsp cooking oil (for sautéing pepper flakes)
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust for heat preference)
• 2 cup chicken stock
• 2 oz tofu (cubed; soft tofu preferred, firm also works)
• 1 oz bamboo shoots (sliced thinly)
• 3 oz mushrooms (sliced thinly; choice of variety)
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• 0.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 0.5 tsp dark soy sauce (listed as 1/t tsp in source, interpreted as 1/2 tsp)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• msg (a pinch; optional)
• 1 tbsp cornstarch (for slurry)
• 2 tbsp water (for slurry)
• 1 egg (beaten)
• 0.5 tbsp white vinegar (added at the end to preserve acidity)

Steps

1. 1

   Optional: To bloom the spices, add a small amount of oil and the red pepper flakes to the rice cooker pot. Place the lid on and hit the 'cook' button to sauté them briefly.

2. 2

   Add the chicken stock, cubed tofu, sliced bamboo shoots, sliced mushrooms, white pepper, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, and a pinch of msg to the rice cooker.

3. 3

   Stir the ingredients to combine, place the lid on top, and hit the 'cook' button.

4. 4

   While the soup is heating, prepare the cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until smooth.

5. 5

   Once the soup comes to a boil, open the lid and stir in the cornstarch slurry.

6. 6

   Place the lid back on and allow the soup to come back up to a boil to thicken.

7. 7

   While stirring the soup continuously, slowly drizzle in the beaten egg to form thin, wispy ribbons.

8. 8

   Add the white vinegar and stir. Taste the soup and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more vinegar for sourness, chili flakes for heat, or soy sauce for saltiness.

Notes

The author used a 2-cup uncooked / 4-cup cooked capacity rice cooker. Soft tofu is generally preferred for this soup, though firm tofu can be used if that is what you have on hand.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• hot and sour soup
• rice cooker
• Chinese
• quick meal
• lunch
• appetizer