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Hot and Sour Soup - BEST and EASIEST Chinese hot and sour soup recipe ever! Simple ingredients, takes 15 mins and a zillion times better than takeout.
You Asked for It – Hot and Sour Soup!
Many readers have emailed me and requested for Chinese hot and sour soup for the longest time, so I am really excited to be sharing this super easy hot and sour soup recipe that anyone can make at home.
This recipe takes only 15 minutes fromprep to finish and you’ll have a pot of warm, hearty and utterly delicious soup that tastes like it’s straight from your favorite Chinese restaurants.
For those wondering, “What is hot and sour soup?” You might be wondering what is it made of and what ingredients are in hot and sour soup that actually makes it hot and sour.
Is hot and sour soup health? Yes, absolutely. Try my recipe, it’s only 99 calories!
Other Recipes You Might Like
Egg Drop Soup
Wonton Soup
Miso Soup
Main Ingredients
My recipe is very easy and quick. It calls for a few simple ingredients:
Chicken or vegetable stock.
Tofu.
Eggs.
mushrooms.
There are two seasonings to bring out the iconic flavors of hot and sour soup: soy sauce and vinegar.
If you like it spicy, you can add some dried chili flakes or chili oil into the soup.
Tips on How to Cook Hot and Sour Soup?
I like Panda Express Hot and Sour Soup so here are the secrets techniques and tips that yield Chinese restaurant’s results:
DO NOT USE WHISK. This is the biggest mistake when it comes to making Chinese soups. We do not whisk beaten eggs in the soup. The eggs should form into nice, beautiful and silky pieces. The key is to cook the eggs after the heat is turned off.
Gently swirl the beaten eggs into the soup, stir a few times with a pair of chopsticks.
Corn starch thickens the soup but do not use too much of it. You want a soup that has a slightly sticky consistency but still runny.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 114 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
6oz (230g)white button mushroom, stems trimmed and caps quartered
3tablespoonssoy sauce
2 1/2tablespoonsChinese vinegar(apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar)
1teaspoondark soy sauce(for coloring purpose)
3dashes ground white pepper or black pepper
1egg(beaten)
1teaspoonchili oil(optional)
1tablespoonchopped scallion(optional)
Instructions
Add the corn starch and water together, stir to combine well. Set aside.
Add the chicken or vegetable broth and water to a medium-sized soup pot on medium heat. Bring it to boil. Add the tofu and white button mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes.
Add the soy sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir to combine well. Add in the cornstarch mixture, stir continuously to thicken the soup. Turn off the heat.
Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup, count to 10, and then use a pair of chopsticks to stir in a clockwise direction, for 3 times. This will form the silken egg threads in the soup that look very pretty. Add the chili oil and chopped scallions, if using.
Dish out and serve immediately.
Notes
If you want to add some heat to the soup, you may add some chili oil or a few pinches of dried red chili flakes.
Course: Chinese Recipes
Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Hot and Sour Soup
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Hot and Sour Soup
Amount Per Serving (4 people)
Calories 114Calories from Fat 45
% Daily Value*
Fat 5g8%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 1138mg49%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 10g20%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Consuming hot and sour soup helps in preventing the movement of the white blood cells which are responsible for inflammation. This further helps in providing relief from common health issues like cold, cough, mucus among others.
Wood ear mushrooms - A classic in hot and sour soup! It's got a crunchy texture and sometimes known as black fungus and cloud ear mushroom. Wood ear mushroom is normally sold dry and require rehydrating with hot water before use.
Hot from the chili sauce and sour from the rice vinegar. This soup usually has a slightly gelatinous texture due to the added cornstarch or tapioca starch and an abundance of texture from the tofu, vegetables and scrambled egg strands.
Chinese Hot and Sour soup broth is made with chicken stock which is flavoured with typical Asian ingredients such as soy sauce, sugar, pepper and ginger. The soup is thickened slightly using cornstarch/cornflour – I love how the glossy broth coats the ingredients when you scoop it up!
Mix in a small spoonful of sugar into lighter soups.
Stir the sugar thoroughly into your container of soup, then taste test it. If the soup still tastes a bit acidic, stir in another small spoonful of sugar into the dish. This solution works better with dishes that have lighter flavors, like lemon. Don't overdo it!
Is hot and sour chicken soup healthy? Yes, homemade hot & sour chicken soup can be very healthy as you control the ingredients. Optimize nutrition by minimizing added starch, using lean protein, and avoiding adding sugar.
Hot and sour soup is a popular example of Sichuan cuisine. Similar versions are found in Henan province, near Beijing, and in Henan cuisine itself, where it may also be known as hulatang or "pepper hot soup" (胡辣汤).
Slowly pour in the beaten egg in a thin stream while simultaneously mixing the soup and egg with a ladle or spoon in a circular motion. If done correctly, you will begin to see the egg form silky egg ribbons throughout the soup that gives Hot and Sour soup its signature look!
Hot and sour soup supports healthy Liver function. The taste of sour resonates directly with the Liver and helps promote flow. Once you learn how to make the base of the soup, try using different ingredients.
Rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, ground ginger: To flavor the broth. Cornstarch: To thicken the broth. Eggs: Which we will whisk, and the drizzle into the soup to make those lovely egg ribbons. Firm tofu: Which we will cube and add to the soup.
1. Chicken Herbal Soup. The Chicken Herbal Soup stands out as one of the healthiest options in the realm of Chinese soups. This soup combines the goodness of lean chicken with a variety of Chinese herbs that are believed to have therapeutic properties.
Turn the soup down to a simmer before adding the ingredients, then leave it on low heat until finished. Additionally, it may be wise to gradually heat your cream products before adding them, so the change is less drastic.
Why is it called hot and sour soup? The "hot" in hot and sour soup means spicy-hot, not temperature-hot, referring to the kick from the white pepper powder.Then it's sour from the vinegar.
Hot and sour soup often contains an assortment of vegetables such as mushrooms, bamboo shoots, cabbage, carrots, and peppers. These vegetables contribute essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, which are beneficial for overall health and well-being.
Bamboo shoot – fresh or in a can or chili oil. Water – Yes, you only need water, but feel free to use vegetable stock that is usually lighter than broth and has less celery taste. Seasoning – vinegar, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, mushrooms seasoning, or vegetable bouillon.
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