Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

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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.

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: asian, Chinese

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Fat, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Servings:

Calories: 421kcal

Author: Lei

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 1/3 cup water 3 cups for the soup base, 1/3 cup to mix with corn starch
2 tablespoon Chinese dark vinegar more or less to your liking
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon white pepper powder more or less to your liking
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1/2 cup tofu
1/3 cup shiitaker mushroom sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup ham sliced
2 tablespoon corn starch
1 egg whisked
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/3 cup coriander

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.

Notes

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 the amount of 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.
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.
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, and more
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.

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