Hot Sour Soup
"Because the hot sour soup is a quick one to make. We don’t simmer the vegetables for long. The actual cooking time is only 10 minutes. By cutting the vegetable thinly into strips, they’ll be easier to cook. Within the 10 minutes, the carrots and broccoli stems are not going to be melt-in-your-mouth tender, but they will be soft and still crunchy, which is exactly what we want. Other ingredients will be cooked almost instantly in the boiling broth. If you do some heavy eating during holidays or parties, give your stomach a break or cleanse by enjoying this hot sour soup the next day. Your taste buds will be happy too!"
NotesIf desired, you can add 2 sticks imitation crab meat in the soup. Add it with the tofu at step 2. Imitation crab meat contains wheat.
Serves6 People
Preparation Time15 min
Cooking Time10 min
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 cup enoki mushrooms
- 1/2 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup broccoli stems, cut into matchsticks (stems, not florets)
- 6 cups chicken broth (I used homemade) or vegetable broth (if vegan)
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 (16-ounce) black extra firm tofu, cut into strips
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
- 1 egg, beaten
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Place shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, carrots, broccoli stems and chicken broth or vegetable broth in a large saucepan. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
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Turn the heat to medium, add sugar, vinegar and tofu. Gently stir.
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Slowly stir in the dissolved cornstarch in the soup. Keep stirring. The soup will start thickening. Add the beaten egg and immediately start stirring. Turn off the heat. The egg should break into very small pieces floating on the surface of the soup.
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Season the soup with 2 teaspoons ground black pepper first. Taste and add more if desired. (I found that 3/4 teaspoons black pepper is perfect for my taste. But you can adjust the amount according to your preference.) Dish and garnish with cilantro. Serve warm.