Hot and Sour Soup
Spicy, rich, and complex hot and sour soup requires minimal prep time and relies on accessible ingredients you can procure from most groceries.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce divided
- 3⅔ tablespoons cornstarch divided
- 1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 8 ounces trimmed pork chop
- 7 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 4 ounce shiitake mushroom
- 5 ounces bamboo shoots
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cold water divided
- 1 large egg
- 10 tablespoons Chinkiang (black) vinegar
- 2 teaspoons ground white pepper
- 1 tablespoon chili oil
- 2 cups Swanson's beef broth
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Whisk together 1½ tablespoons soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1½ teaspoons of cornstarch in a large metal bowl. Trim the boneless pork chop into 1" by ⅛" matchsticks. Add the pork slices to the bowl, toss to coat, and let marinate for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Remove the tofu from its package and drain any liquid. Cut the block horizontally through the midsection to produce 2 thinner blocks. Place blocks onto a paper-towel lined pie plate, top with another layer of paper towels, followed by a heavy plate. Let tofu drain until at least ~½ cup liquid has been released (about 15 minutes).
- Meanwhile, place the broth in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat and let it come to a boil while you prepare the remaining ingredients. (Turn down to a simmer if it reaches a boil and you are still prepping.)
- Clean the shiitake mushrooms, remove their stems, and slice caps ¼" thick. Drain the bamboo shoots from their can, and slice lengthwise into ⅛" thick strips.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the remaining cornstarch with 3 tablespoons lukewarm water.
- In another small bowl, whisk together the remaining ½ teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water using a fork, then add the egg and beat with the fork until combined.
- In a third medium-small bowl, stir together the black vinegar, remaining 6 tablespoons soy sauce, chili oil, and white pepper.
- Slice 3 scallions thinly on the bias. Set aside on a small plate.
- Once the broth has come to a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the bamboo shoots and the mushrooms, simmering until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes.
- While the broth simmers, cut the tofu into ½" cubes. Add the marinated pork (including the marinade) and the cubed tofu to the pot, stirring to separate any stuck-together pieces of pork. Continue simmering until the pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes.
- Whisk the cornstarch-water mix back together if it has separated, then add to the soup and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup becomes translucent in color, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar-soy-chili oil-pepper mix, then turn off the heat.
- Hold a thin-slotted soup spoon over the soup and slowly drizzle the egg mixture through the slotted spoon into the pot, slowly moving the slotted spoon clockwise over the surface of the soup to create very thin streams of egg. Let the soup sit for 1 more minute, then turn on the heat up to medium-high. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Gently stir the soup once (this should be the first time you've stirred since you added the vinegar-pepper mix), then ladly the soup into bowls, garnish with the bias-cut scallions, and serve.