Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and sour soup balances sharp acidity from rice vinegar with the deep, creeping heat of white pepper, set against a backdrop of savory wood ear mushrooms and silky egg ribbons. The key is to add the vinegar and pepper at the very end to keep the aroma volatile and bright, thickening the broth with a cornstarch slurry only after the solids are tender.
The finish is everything.
Keep your cornstarch slurry ready to go and have the white pepper measured out; this soup moves quickly once the broth reaches a boil.
- large heavy-bottomed pot
- fine mesh sieve
- ladle
- whisk
What goes in.
- 4 cupschicken or mushroom stock
- 1/2 cupbamboo shoots, julienned
- 1/2 cupwood ear mushrooms, rehydrated and shredded
- 4 ozfirm tofu, cut into thin strips
- 3 tbspChinkiang black vinegar
- 1 tspwhite pepper powder
- 2 tbspsoy sauce
- 2 tbspcornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp water
- 1large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsptoasted sesame oil
- 2green onions, sliced thin
Creating the silk
Turn off the heat before pouring in the egg. Drizzle it in a slow, steady stream while stirring the soup in a tight circular motion to create fine, delicate strands rather than large, chunky clumps.
The method.
Simmer the base
Bring the stock to a low boil in the pot. Add the bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and tofu. Let them simmer for 5 minutes until the tofu is heated through.
Season and thicken
Add the soy sauce. Pour in the cornstarch slurry while whisking the soup constantly until it thickens to the consistency of light cream.
The acid and heat
Stir in the white pepper and black vinegar. Taste—it should have a sharp tang that hits the back of your throat.
Finish with egg
Remove the pot from the heat. Drizzle the beaten egg in slowly, using a ladle to stir the soup in one direction. Garnish immediately with sesame oil and green onions.
Other turns to take.
Pork-Style
Add 4 ounces of thinly sliced pork loin to the pot with the bamboo shoots, poaching until just cooked through.
Extra Heat
Include a tablespoon of chili oil at the very end if you prefer the spice to sit on the surface of the tongue.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use white pepper, not black. The flavor profile is earthier and lacks the floral note of black pepper, which is essential for this style.
Rehydrate dried wood ear mushrooms in warm water for at least 30 minutes; they expand significantly, so a little goes a long way.
If the soup thins out after adding the vinegar, do not add more cornstarch; the acid naturally breaks down some of the starch structure over time.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use corn vinegar instead of black?
Black vinegar provides a malty, deep note that white vinegars lack. If you only have white or rice vinegar, start with half the amount and adjust to taste.
Why did my soup turn cloudy?
Over-boiling the soup after adding the egg or using too much cornstarch can cause cloudiness. Keep the heat controlled.
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