Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣汤) — Better Than Takeout

Name: Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣汤) — Better Than Takeout
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock; 150g firm tofu, cut into thin matchsticks; 80g dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and sliced; 80g dried lily buds, soaked and knotted; 100g pork loin, sliced into thin matchsticks (optional); 1 can bamboo shoots, drained and julienned; 3 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar (adjust to taste); 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp chili oil or chili paste; 1.5 tsp white pepper (adjust to taste); 3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp cold water; 2 eggs, beaten well; 1 tsp sesame oil; 2 spring onions, finely sliced; Salt to taste

Prep:35 min

Cook:35 min

Serves:2–4

Difficulty:Medium

Hot and sour soup is one of the most ordered Chinese dishes globally — and one of the easiest to make at home in a version that blows the takeout version away. The defining balance is in the name: hot (white pepper and chili) against sour (Chinkiang black vinegar). The black vinegar is non-negotiable — it has a smoky, malty depth that rice vinegar or regular white vinegar simply cannot replicate. The egg ribbons, stirred in at the last moment in a thin stream, are the signature texture element.

Hot and sour soup originates from Sichuan and Hunan provinces. It has become one of the most popular Chinese dishes worldwide and is a staple on every Chinese restaurant menu.

Ingredients

• 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
• 150g firm tofu, cut into thin matchsticks
• 80g dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and sliced
• 80g dried lily buds, soaked and knotted
• 100g pork loin, sliced into thin matchsticks (optional)
• 1 can bamboo shoots, drained and julienned
• 3 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar (adjust to taste)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chili oil or chili paste
• 1.5 tsp white pepper (adjust to taste)
• 3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp cold water
• 2 eggs, beaten well
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1
Soak wood ear mushrooms and lily buds in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain, slice the mushrooms into thin strips, and tie each lily bud into a knot (this prevents them falling apart in the soup).
2
Bring stock to a boil in a large pot. If using pork, add it now and simmer for 3 minutes.
3
Add tofu, wood ear mushrooms, lily buds, and bamboo shoots. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
4
Add soy sauce, dark soy, chili oil, and white pepper. Stir well and taste.
5
Stir the cornstarch slurry well, then pour it into the soup in a steady stream while stirring constantly. The soup will thicken to a light, glossy consistency.
6
Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Pour the beaten eggs in a very thin, steady stream in a circular motion around the surface of the soup. Don't stir for 10 seconds, then stir gently in one direction to create silky egg ribbons.
7
Remove from heat. Add Chinkiang vinegar — this is added at the end to preserve its bright acidity.
8
Stir in sesame oil, garnish with spring onions, and serve immediately.

Pro Tips

💡Always add the vinegar off the heat at the end. Boiling vinegar makes the soup taste flat and harsh. The acid should be fresh and bright.
💡White pepper provides the "hot" in hot and sour — not chili. Use freshly ground white pepper for maximum impact.
💡The egg ribbon technique requires the soup to be barely simmering and the egg poured in a thin stream. If the soup is at a full boil, you'll get large clumps instead of ribbons.