Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 4 oz shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
• 4 oz king oyster mushrooms (sliced)
• 2 oz wood ear mushrooms (sliced)
• 14 oz tofu (cubed)
• 3 green onions (sliced)
• 1 tbsp cooking oil (referred to as food lube)
• 1 dried red chili (singular chili for flavoring oil)
• 6 cup chicken bone broth
• 1 inch fresh ginger (grated)
• 2 tbsp Chinese light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp chicken powder (bouillon powder)
• 0.5 tsp sugar
• 0.5 tsp white pepper
• salt (to taste)
• 0.5 cup bamboo shoots (sliced)
• 2 tbsp corn starch (mixed with water to make a slurry)
• 4 eggs (whisked with a little water)
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil (referred to as sesame lube)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables by slicing the shiitake, king oyster, and wood ear mushrooms. Cube the tofu and slice the green onions.

2. 2

   In a large pot over medium heat, add a little bit of cooking oil and sauté one whole dried chili until the oil is fragrant. Discard the chili once finished.

3. 3

   Pour the chicken bone broth into the pot.

4. 4

   Grate some fresh ginger directly into the broth.

5. 5

   Add the Chinese light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken powder, sugar, white pepper, and salt to the broth.

6. 6

   Carefully add the cubed tofu, sliced mushrooms, and bamboo shoots to the pot.

7. 7

   Bring the entire mixture up to a boil.

8. 8

   While the soup is boiling, drizzle in a corn starch slurry (corn starch mixed with a little cold water) and stir until the soup is thickened.

9. 9

   In a small bowl, whisk 4 eggs together with a little bit of water.

10. 10

    Slowly drizzle the whisked eggs into the boiling soup while stirring gently to create egg ribbons.

11. 11

    Finish the soup by adding white vinegar and sesame oil. Stir to combine and serve topped with sliced green onions.

Notes

The author notes that wood ear mushrooms are particularly 'fuddly' (visually unique) but essential for texture. The egg ribbons are achieved by whisking eggs with a touch of water and drizzling slowly into the boiling, thickened liquid.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• Chinese
• hot and sour
• takeout
• mushrooms
• tofu
• main course