Hot and Sour Soup

~ Shawn

Image coming soon.

The Classic Soup with Savory, Sour, and Spice

Prep Time: 2 hours Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 2 hours and 20 min

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb (250 g) pork shoulder, julienned
  • 1 tbs water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 Thai Chilies
  • 1/2 cup dried wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
  • 1/2 cup spiced dry tofu, sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh firm tofu, sliced
  • 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 scallion, finely diced
  • 8 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 tsp of monosodium glutamate
  • 1.5 tsp ground white pepper
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup water

Directions

  1. In separate bowls, soak the 1/2 cup of wood ears and 1/2 cup of shiitake mushrooms in 1 cup of warm water each for 1-2 hours, until hydrated.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the 1/2 lb julienned pork with the 1 tablespoon of water until the meat has absorbed the water. Add the 1 teaspoon of salt, the 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, and the 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Mix until combined and set aside.
  3. Cut the 2 Thai chilies in half and discard the seeds. Chop finely and set aside.
  4. Once the mushrooms are ready, drain and thinly slice. Set aside.
  5. Dry both the spiced and fresh tofu quickly on a few paper towels for about 5 minutes. Then, slice into sticks that are 2 inches long and 1/4 inches wide. Set aside.
  6. Beat the 1 large egg in a small bowl.
  7. Wash and finely chop the scallion. Set aside.
  8. Bring the eight cups of chicken stock to a boil in a large heavy pot.
  9. Stir the pork into the chicken stock, making sure to break up any lumps that form.
  10. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, the 1/2 tsp of monosodium glutamate, the chopped Thai chili, the 1.5 teaspoons of white pepper, the 2 teaspoons of dark soy sauce, the 2 teaspoons of light soy sauce, and the 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Stir to combine.
  11. Next, add the wood ears and shiitake mushrooms and bring the soup to a simmer once again.
  12. Next, add the two kinds of tofu and the 1/3 cup of vinegar and stir to combine. It should start to look and smell like Hot and Sour soup right about now!
  13. Combine the 1/3 cup of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water to make a slurry in small container.
  14. Bring the mixture to a simmer and use your soup ladle to stir the soup in a steady circular motion to make a whirlpool while steadily drizzling in the cornstarch slurry. Careful not to use it all; you can always add more later if the soup is too loose. Keep stirring until the soup returns to a simmer.
  15. Check the consistency of the soup; it should coat the back of a spoon. Add more slurry if you like it thicker.
  16. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as necessary.
  17. Keep the soup simmering and begin stirring in a circular motion with your ladle once again. Once you have a slow whirlpool, slowly drizzle the beaten egg into the soup.
  18. Sprinkle chopped scallions on top of the soup and serve.

Source

https://thewoksoflife.com/hot-sour-soup/