# ISO Chinese hot and sour soup recipe



## sianbamford (Aug 1, 2008)

Hi does anyone know how to cook chinese hot and sour soup??? ive come across loads of recipes but none are like wot u get fron the local take away!!! love this soup and would like 2 know how 2 cook it! any help would be appreciated


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## ironchef (Aug 1, 2008)

sianbamford said:


> Hi does anyone know how to cook chinese hot and sour soup??? ive come across loads of recipes but none are like wot u get fron the local take away!!! love this soup and would like 2 know how 2 cook it! any help would be appreciated


 
Your best bet would be to ask the restaurant.


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## Andy M. (Aug 1, 2008)

*Traditional Szechuan-Style Hot and Sour Soup*​ 
1/2 Lb Pork, julienned ​1 tsp Sesame Oil 
1 tsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Cornstarch 
2 Tb Peanut Oil
4 Dried Chiles, chopped 
1 Tb Ginger, minced
8 C Chicken Stock 
1 tsp Sugar 
1 C Bamboo Shoots, julienned
1/2 C Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms 
2 Eggs lightly beaten 
2 Tb Cornstarch
1/4 Lb Firm Tofu, diced
TT Salt and White Pepper
5-6 Tb Rice Vinegar 
2 Tb Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1/4 C Scallions, chopped 
2 Tb Cilantro, Minced ​ 
Combine the pork with the sesame oil, soy, and cornstarch. Marinate for 30 minutes.​ 
Soak the bamboo shoots in water for 30 minutes, then julienne.​ 
Re-hydrate and julienne the wood ears.​ 
In a hot 4-quart saucepan, add the oil and sear the pork, stirring quickly then remove the pork from the pan and set it aside. ​ 
Add the chiles and ginger, and stir. ​ 
Add the stock, sugar, bamboo shoots and wood ears and bring to a boil. Season. Simmer for 20 minutes.​ 
While the soup is boiling, drizzle in the egg to form ribbons. A slower, thin drizzle will make thinner, more delicate ribbons.​ 
Mix the cornstarch with cold water to form a paste and add the cornstarch to the soup stirring constantly to thicken. ​ 
Add the pork and tofu.​ 
Add the vinegar, soy, sesame oil, scallions and cilantro and check for seasoning. ​ 
Serve immediately.​ 
Note: If you want to make the soup ahead of time, skip the last step and refrigerate the soup. Reheat the soup just before serving and add the vinegar, soy, sesame oil, scallions and cilantro and check for seasoning.​


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## mcnerd (Aug 1, 2008)

ironchef said:


> Your best bet would be to ask the restaurant.


I have visions of the chef pulling out a refrigerated 5-gallon pail with the basic soup pre-made and sold in bulk.


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 1, 2008)

Here's my own version that I've been making since the 1970's. Easy to put together if you can find & keep the ingredients in your pantry. Never any leftovers & best thing ever if you have a cold. 

BREEZY PEKING HOT & SOUR SOUP
(adapted from Madame Chu’s Chinese Cooking School)

¼ -1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast (one breast piece)
½ cup (3-4 caps) dried Chinese black mushrooms (or dried shitake mushrooms)
12 dried tiger-lily buds (aka “Golden Needles”)
1 tablespoon dried cloud ear mushrooms (aka “wood ear” mushrooms)
1 cake fresh firm or extra-firm bean curd (tofu)
1 egg
5 cups chicken broth
1 small can shredded bamboo shoots, drained
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablesoons light (Japanese) soy sauce (like Kikkoman brand)
2-1/2 tablespoons white vinegar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
2-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water
1 tablespoon sesame oil or hot (aka chili) sesame oil
Chopped fresh scallions for garnish - optional

Cut the chicken into shreds.
Soak mushrooms, cloud ears, & tiger-lily buds in 1-2 cups of hot water for 20-30 minutes, changing hot water every 10 minutes or so. Drain & rinse well. Shred the mushrooms & cloud ears; tie each tiger lily bud into a knot (for easier eating).
Cut bean curd into cubes.
Beat the egg thoroughly.

Heat broth in a pot large enough to hold all ingredients until boiling. Add chicken strips & mix a few times. Bring back to a low boil & add bean curd, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, cloud ears, & lily buds. Add sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, & black pepper. Boil for 2 minutes & then add –first stirring to recombine – cornstarch/water mixture. Stir & then pour in beaten egg. Turn off heat & stir again, then sprinkle sesame oil on top & taste for seasoning, adding in additional vinegar &/or pepper to taste if necessary. Serve garnished with chopped scallions if desired.


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## linguini (Oct 5, 2008)

I've got this great spicy hot and sour soup recipe.  Give this a try.


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## QSis (Oct 5, 2008)

Oddly enough, I made a VAT of hot and sour soup today, adapting my adapted recipe which is very similar to all of the recipes above.

Instead of pork or chicken, I used two bags of small Chinese dumplings, and instead of bamboo shoots, I used fresh Napa cabbage. And added some fresh baby bellas and some of my own dried mushrooms in ADDITION to all of the traditional mushrooms. 

I've made the traditional soup many times, and love it, especially over Chinese noodles, but I wanted to branch out a bit today. LOL!

Lee


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## larry_stewart (Oct 5, 2008)

There is this one restaurant by me that makes the best vegetarian hot and sour soup. For 20 years ive been trying to figure out the recipe.  Its not the physical ingredients that got me ( bamboo shoots, mushrooms, tofu ....)  but the broth.  Im just not sure what they are using.  Ive bought just about every type of sauce and condiment in the asian market by me, and none of them match up.  Ive many other versions which are not bad, but this one restaurant is much better.  Actually, I order it so often , that when I go to pick it up, the refer to me not by my name, but as " Mr. Hot and Sour soup"


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## BreezyCooking (Oct 5, 2008)

What vegetable broths have you tried?  Some of the newer boxed ones are pretty good, & once you add in all the H&S seasonings, it shouldn't be difficult to imitate.

Also - & I hate to mention this - but are you absolutely sure they're using a vegetable broth & not a poultry or pork broth?  Both are used frequently in Chinese cooking, & sometimes - depending on the restaurant - "vegetarian" doesn't always translate to the broth.


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## larry_stewart (Oct 5, 2008)

I cant say absolutely, but they pride themselves ona strictly separate vegetarian menu, and stress the whole Zen, Buddha thing in the menu, so I would hope they practice by their word( but who knows  )  Ive tried many different broths, and sauces and it tastes like i tried to make hot and sour soup, but not THE hot and saour soup im trying to imitate, which keeps me going back every month.


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## GrillingFool (Oct 5, 2008)

Hot is pepper... sour is vinegar.
It builds from there.

Or so I was told.


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## thymeless (Oct 5, 2008)

The recipes above will get you fairly close.

There are some oddball ingredients that really make a hot and sour soup GOOD.

The lily buds as mentioned, though usually I see more in a recipe than listed earlier. 

Szechuan preserved vegetable is another. Basically a  spicy pickled mustard green. Not a lot though. 

For the vinegar, chinese black vinegar is best. Cook's illustrated substituted balsamic vinegar at about half the amount of black vinegar.. Not a bad substitution, but black vinegar is inexpensive and much better for this purpose.

The heat is traditionally generous amounts of white pepper, though I usually add a bit of  chile garlic sauce as well.  I had some the other night at a new restaurant and the abundant red chile was too much. Blazing heat. Otherwise a decent hot and sour but too much of the wrong heat. 

thymeless


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