Learn how to make Chinese hot and sour soup with a perfectly balanced savoury, spicy, and tangy broth. Easy to customise with your favourite ingredients or keep it vegetarian.

About this Chinese Hot & Sour Soup

If you love sour flavours, this Chinese hot and sour soup is one to try.

The “hot” in this hot and sour soup comes from white pepper powder – not chilli, and the “sour” comes from Chinese dark vinegar. Soy sauce adds colour and saltiness, and the cornstarch slurry gives the soup a silky and thick texture.

Traditional hot and sour soup usually includes ingredients like wood ear mushrooms and dried lily flowers for extra texture. While they add an authentic touch, they can be tricky to find and prepare.

This version keeps things simple with easy-to-find ingredients from your local supermarket, so you can enjoy a flavourful bowl of Chinese hot and sour soup without the extra hassle.

Customise Your Hot and Sour Soup

The best thing about this soup is how easy it is to customise. It’s a great way to use up leftover ingredients in your fridge – simply mix and match vegetables and add-ins based on what you have.

• Vegetable options: mushroom (any kind, fresh or dried), cauliflower, carrot, bamboo shoots, tomato, leek, Chinese cabbage, snow peas, celery, corn, and more
• Protein options: Tofu (silken, firm, salted or fried), shredded roasted chicken (beef or lamb), ham, spam, sausage, char siu, shrimp, squid, meatballs.
• Seasoning options: This recipe makes a mild hot and sour soup base, so everyone can adjust the flavour to their liking when serving. Add extra vinegar for more tang, white pepper for more heat, and salt for more savouriness. This helps keep the flavours of vinegar and white pepper from fading during cooking. I personally like to double the vinegar and white pepper for a stronger flavour.

Ingredients for Chinese hot & sour Soup

• Soup base: I use water in this recipe, but you can swap it for chicken or beef broth. The hot and sour flavours are strong enough that the difference is minimal.
• Soy sauce: I use regular soy sauce for saltiness and dark soy sauce for colour. If you don’t have dark soy sauce, you can replace it with half as much regular soy sauce.
• Chinese dark vinegar: Zhenjiang vinegar is the most popular one in China. It has a unique earthy, malty flavour and is available at Chinese grocery stores or online. If you can’t find it, substitute with balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar.
• Coriander: You can use spring onions or chives, but I find coriander pairs best with the flavours in this soup.

Instructions

Step 1: Build the soup base

• Heat oil in a pot over medium heat, then fry the garlic until lightly golden.
• Add water, vegetables, and meat. Season with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, and white pepper powder. Cook until everything is done.

Step 2: Thicken and add the egg

• Lower the heat to a gentle simmer.
• Mix the cornstarch with 1/3 cup of water to make a slurry, then slowly stir it into the soup to thicken it
• Add the egg while stirring gently to create silky egg ribbons.

Step 3: Finish and serve

• Add sesame oil and coriander.
• Serve with extra salt, vinegar, and white pepper powder on the side so everyone can adjust the flavour to their taste.

Cooking Tips

• Cooking temperature: Lower the heat to a gentle simmer before adding the cornstarch slurry and eggs. Stir slowly as you add both to prevent lumps and create a smooth, silky texture.
• Cooking time: Different vegetables and meats need different cooking times. Shred or cut them into smaller pieces to speed up cooking, and add them at different stages as needed.

Give this Chinese hot and sour soup a try – it’s warm, comforting, and easier to make than you might think. It’s the kind of homemade soup your family will love. 🧡

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