- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 30 g
- 200 g
- 100 g
- 1 l
- 2 tbsp
- 3 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tbsp
- 3 tbsp
- 1 tsp
Process
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Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes until softened. Drain, then slice the shiitake and wood ear mushrooms thinly.
In a large pot, bring the chicken broth to a simmer over medium heat.
Add the sliced shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, tofu strips, and bamboo shoots to the broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, white pepper, and chili oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more vinegar or pepper if desired.
Slowly pour the cornstarch slurry into the soup while stirring constantly. Continue to stir until the soup thickens slightly, about 1–2 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low. Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup in a thin stream while stirring gently to create ribbons.
Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in the sesame oil.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve hot.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- Add the rice vinegar and white pepper after the cornstarch has thickened the broth, or at least off the boil, because boiling vinegar for long dulls its tang and the soup tastes flat.
- The soup is done when it coats the back of a spoon lightly and the egg ribbons are just set, about 30 seconds after the egg goes in; if you keep cooking, the egg turns rubbery and the broth thins out.
- Pour the beaten egg in a very thin stream from about 15 cm above the pot while stirring slowly in one direction, which gives long silky ribbons instead of scrambled clumps.
- Soak the dried shiitake and wood ear in hot water for a full 20 minutes; under-soaked wood ear stays crunchy and chewy, and the soaking liquid can be strained and added to the broth for extra depth.
Substitutions
- dried-shiitake-mushrooms→fresh shiitake or button mushrooms, sliced, 100 g
- wood-ear-mushrooms→dried cloud ear or enoki mushrooms, 30 g rehydrated
- bamboo-shoots→canned sliced water chestnuts or julienned carrots
- rice-vinegar→white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar, same amount
Storage & reheating
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; the soup will thicken as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of chicken broth or water when reheating. Freeze for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container, but note the tofu becomes spongy and the egg ribbons break apart, so freeze only if texture is not critical. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until it reaches 75°C, stirring gently, or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts at 70 percent power, stirring between bursts. Do not boil hard after reheating or the egg will toughen and the vinegar aroma will fade.
Gallery
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my hot and sour soup turn out bland or not sour enough?
Vinegar loses its punch when it is boiled for a long time, so add the rice vinegar after the soup has thickened and the heat is off or very low. Also taste after adding the white pepper and chili oil, since brands vary in strength. If it still tastes flat, add another tablespoon of rice vinegar and a pinch of salt rather than more soy sauce.
Can I use fresh mushrooms instead of dried shiitake and wood ear?
Yes, use about 100 g of sliced fresh shiitake or button mushrooms in place of the dried shiitake, and 100 g of fresh wood ear or enoki in place of the dried wood ear. Fresh mushrooms need only 3 to 4 minutes of simmering, so add them at the same step but skip the 20-minute soak. The broth will be slightly less deep in flavor without the soaking liquid.
How do I get the eggs to form ribbons instead of clumps?
Beat the eggs until smooth, then lower the heat so the broth is barely simmering, not boiling. Pour the egg in a thin stream from a height of about 15 cm while stirring the soup slowly in one direction. Stop stirring as soon as the ribbons set, which takes about 30 seconds, and do not let the soup boil after the egg goes in.
Can I make hot and sour soup ahead of time?
You can prepare the broth with the mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo shoots up to 2 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Reheat it to a simmer, then add the cornstarch slurry, vinegar, pepper, egg, and sesame oil just before serving. Adding the egg and vinegar at the last minute keeps the texture and tang fresh.
How long does hot and sour soup last in the fridge and can I freeze it?
Keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It can be frozen for up to 2 months, but the tofu turns spongy and the egg ribbons break apart, so the texture will change. Reheat gently on the stovetop to 75°C or in the microwave in 1-minute bursts, stirring between bursts.
Why is my soup too thick or too thin?
Cornstarch needs to be mixed with cold water before it goes in, about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch to 3 tablespoons of cold water, or it clumps. Add the slurry slowly while stirring and let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes to activate; if it is still too thin, add another teaspoon of slurry. If it is too thick, stir in a splash of chicken broth or water until it coats a spoon lightly.
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