Hot and Sour Soup

Name: Hot and Sour Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 6 cup chicken broth, preferably low-sodium; 4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced thin; 6 oz firm tofu, drained and cut into thin matchsticks; 1 cup bamboo shoots, drained and julienned; 3 tbsp rice vinegar; 2 tbsp soy sauce, light or regular; 1 tsp white pepper, freshly ground if possible; 1 tsp kosher salt; 3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water; 2 large large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork; 2 green onions green onions, white and green parts chopped; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Fiery Hot and Sour Soup with Silky Egg Ribbons

This balanced bowl delivers exactly what it promises — heat from white pepper meets sharp rice vinegar tang in a rich, savory broth. The magic happens when beaten eggs hit the hot soup, creating delicate ribbons that make each spoonful satisfying and complete.

ChineseDinnerSoupComfort FoodQuick MealsTofuEggsFallWinter

Prep15 min

Cook20 min

Total35 min

Servings4

Difficultymedium

Nutrition

fat6g

carbs8g

protein12g

calories180

Ingredients

6 cupchicken broth, preferably low-sodium
4 ozfresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced thin
6 ozfirm tofu, drained and cut into thin matchsticks
1 cupbamboo shoots, drained and julienned
2 largelarge eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
2 green onionsgreen onions, white and green parts chopped
1 tsptoasted sesame oil

Seasonings

3 tbsprice vinegar
2 tbspsoy sauce, light or regular
1 tspwhite pepper, freshly ground if possible
1 tspkosher salt

Thickener

3 tbspcornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

Pour the chicken broth into a large pot and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Don't rush this — you want the broth fully bubbling before adding anything else.
⏱ 5 min
Drop in the sliced mushrooms and bamboo shoots, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Let them cook for 5 minutes to release their flavors into the broth.
⏱ 5 min
Gently add the tofu strips to avoid breaking them apart. Simmer for 2 minutes just to warm them through — they're already cooked, so you're just bringing them up to temperature.
⏱ 2 min
Stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, white pepper, and salt. Give it a good mix so the seasonings distribute evenly throughout the broth.
Give your cornstarch slurry a quick stir to recombine it, then pour it into the soup while stirring constantly with a spoon. Bring back to a boil and cook until the soup thickens noticeably — about 2 minutes.
⏱ 2 min
Now for the egg ribbons: while stirring the soup in a circular motion with one hand, slowly pour the beaten eggs in a thin, steady stream with the other. The motion creates those characteristic wispy egg strands.
⏱ 30 sec
Pull the pot off the heat immediately and stir in the chopped green onions and sesame oil. The residual heat will wilt the scallions perfectly without making them mushy.
Taste your soup and adjust the heat-to-sour balance. Add more rice vinegar for tang or white pepper for heat — the soup should make your taste buds tingle without overwhelming them.