Serves 6-8
If you adore hot and sour soup, this recipe is bursting with flavor. When ever I travel to a new city, I often find out who has the best soup. This recipe is a blend of many soups tried over the years. Friends beg me to make it often, customers love it so much they requested it to be canned. I think this soup is well worth the time spent making it.
5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
4 eggs beaten
2 Tablespoons Marukan Seasoned Rice vinegar*
¼ teaspoon white pepper
2 Tablespoons grated ginger (reserve 1 teaspoon )
¼ cup frozen peas
¼ cup wood ear rinsed in warm water
5 garlic cloves minced ( reserve 1 teaspoon)
¼ cup shredded lily buds rinsed in warm water- cut off hard ends
¼ cup shredded bamboo shoots
1 Tablespoon of peanut oil or sunflower oil
1/4 lb ground pork or turkey (optional)
2 scallions white & green parts sliced thin
3 Tablespoons double black soy, a superior soy or Tamari
2 Tablespoons of sugar
2 Tablespoon of wine vinegar
1 Tablespoons sriracha or hot Asian chili sauce*
2 Tablespoons of arrow root powder or cornstarch mixed with 3 Tablespoons water in a small bowl and set aside
2 Tablespoons Kadoya sesame oil*
1 cup of firm tofu, drained and cut into bite size pieces
¼ teaspoon hot chile flakes(optional)
Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven, add peanut oil, sauté garlic
add in meat, break apart while browning
Add in vinegars, soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar and stock and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to a medium simmer.
Add in tofu, wood ears, lily buds and bamboo strips.
Whisk in eggs slowly, swirling into hot broth.
Whisk in in arrow root paste – soup will start to thicken just a little.
Add in remainder of garlic, ginger, white pepper and peas
Correct seasoning with salt, soy if needed. If you desire it a little sweeter add in more sugar
Add in sesame oil, and top each bowl with scallions and or chili flakes
I always serve a small bowl of extra chile flakes and chili sauce with a tiny spoon for guests who love the extra heat!
* Available @drhot.net or Asian markets