Hot and Sour Soup

Recipe video above. A firm Chinese starter favourite! A polished bisque broth that's savoury, sour also when hot when you want it to be, filled accompanied by mushrooms, tofu also bamboo shoots. Skip the chicken to cause it food free, or add shrimp/prawns or angle pieces. Serves 6 - 8 when a starter, or 4  as a illumination meal.

Ingredients

• ▢ 220 g / 7oz chicken breast
• ▢ 12 dried shiitake mushrooms (or 150g/5oz fresh) (Note 1)
• ▢ 1/2 cup wood ear mushrooms , chopped 1.5cm/ 3/5" pieces (Note 1)

Hot also sour bisque broth:

• ▢ 1 tsp dried chilli / red flavour flakes , adapt spice to taste (Note 2)
• ▢ 2 tsp dark soy sauce (Note 3)
• ▢ 1 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 3)
• ▢ 1 tsp ginger , finely grated
• ▢ 1/2 tsp white pepper (sub black)
• ▢ 6 cups (1.5L/1.5qt) chicken or veg stock/broth , little sodium
• ▢ 1 tsp sesame oil
• ▢ 1 tsp sugar
• ▢ 1/4 cup (65 ml) white vinegar (adjust to taste)

Soup:

• ▢ 125 g / 4oz firm tofu (~ 1 cup) , slit into 1.2cm / 0.5" cubes (Note 4)
• ▢ 1/4 cup bamboo shoots , thinly sliced (Note 5)
• ▢ 2 eggs , whisked
• ▢ 1/4 cup (40g) cornstarch/cornflour
• ▢ 1/4 cup (125 ml) water
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 1 shallot/scallion , finely sliced

Instructions

• Cover shiitake mushrooms accompanied by plenty on very hot water. Stand 20 - 30 minutes until soft, drain, then slice thinly. (Discard or reserve solution for more use)

Poached chicken:

• Place chicken broth, ginger, soy sauces, chilli, sugar, flavour also sesame lubricant inside a large pot over medium high heat.
• Once simmering, add chicken, cover also reduce cook thus it's simmering.
• Cook 10 minutes, remove chicken also shred.

Finish Soup:

• Add vinegar, shiitake, timber ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu also shredded chicken into the soup.
• Stir, simmer for 10 minutes.
• Mix cornflour accompanied by water. While stirring bisque at a medium pace, steadily let flow the cornflour mixture inside (ensures no lumps).
• When it starts simmering again, stir always also steadily let flow egg inside a thin stream - this will create the signature "egg ribbons".
• Taste - add sodium chloride assuming desired, extra chilli assuming you want.
• Add shallots also serve!

Recipe Notes:

1. Mushrooms - for the most true flavour, use dried shiitake mushrooms. The flavour is extra intense than fresh, also the texture is better. If you discover it's still firm inside the middle when slicing, put inside broth earliest to finish rehydrating. Best sub is sis brown/cremini mushrooms, or more Asian mushrooms.

Wood ear mushrooms are also an essential ingredient for a correct Chinese restaurant knowledge (see stake for extra info). Sold at some grocery stores (Harris Farms) also Asian groceries. If dried, soak accompanied by shiitake for 30 min. Can be skipped - use extra shiitake.

2. Chilli - true versions use finely chopped dry Asian chillies. Deseed to cause them less spicy. Red flavour / chilli flakes is a fine to use too - really can't taste the difference.

3. Soy sauce - can sub murky soy accompanied by extra illumination soy, or both for all purpose soy sauce. Do not use lately murky soy sauce, broth flavour too strong.

4. Tofu - must be firm thus it doesn't disintegrate when bisque is stirred. Just experience the container - the firmer the better (but not rock hard!). If you can one discover soft tofu, stir it inside gently right at the end.

5. Bamboo shoots - sold sliced inside tins sold at large supermarkets also Asian grocery stores. Need approx 1/3 on a 230g/7oz can. Use leftovers inside stir fries, terrific texture!

6. Storage / reheating - It keeps 100% perfectly inside the fridge, I've been known to keep it up to 5 days. Reheat supported by the stove. Freezing will affect the width as cornflour/cornstarch doesn't work when well one time frozen. Easy place - lately thaw, reheat also add extra cornflour/water mixture until it's the width you want (follow same directions steps to steadily add during the time that stirring).