Hot and sour soup is typically found in northern Chinese restaurants which has a very different style compared with southern Chinese cuisine. The heat from the ginger warms you up and I love the balance of savoury, sour and heat. Forget about takeout, make it at home.
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients
½ oz dried black fungus*
1 oz (2 inch knob) fresh ginger, sliced
¼ pound cooked ham, ½ inch cubes
6 cups chicken broth (use 8 cups for Stovetop)
1½ cup savoy cabbage, shredded
1 carrot, julienne
3 stalks green onion, chopped
6-8 fresh shiitake mushrooms or 3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
1 pound medium firm tofu, ½ inch cubes
4 oz bamboo shoots, strips
½ cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
2 pinches ground white pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Rehydrate black fungus by covering with hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- If using, soak dried mushrooms in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Drain, rinse and gently squeeze out excess water. Remove stems and thinly slice. Set aside.
Electric Pressure Cooker
- In the inner cooking pot of an electric pressure cooker, add ginger, ham and chicken broth.
- Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Once the pressure cooking is done, quick or natural release the pressure.
- Remove the slices of ginger.
- Press Sauté. Add carrots and cabbage and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add bamboo shoots, green onion, mushrooms, tofu, black fungus, rice vinegar, soy sauce.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and stir the slurry into the soup. Simmer until thickened. Add ground white pepper.
- While gently stirring the soup, slowly drizzle in the egg to create the egg ribbons. Cancel Sauté.
- Add sesame oil. Adjust the taste to your liking by adding more vinegar, ground white pepper and/or sesame oil.
Stovetop
- In a large stock pot on high heat, add ginger, ham and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the slices of ginger. Add carrots and cabbage and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add bamboo shoots, green onion, mushrooms, tofu, black fungus, rice vinegar, soy sauce.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and stir the slurry into the soup. Simmer until thickened. Add ground white pepper.
- While gently stirring the soup, slowly drizzle in the egg to create the egg ribbons.
- Add sesame oil. Adjust the taste to your liking by adding more vinegar, ground white pepper and/or sesame oil.
*Black fungus is a mushroom that is also known as wood ear fungus or cloud ear fungus.
Hot and Sour Soup
Servings: 8 people
Ingredients
- ½ oz dried black fungus*
- 1 oz 2 inch knob fresh ginger, sliced
- ¼ pound cooked ham ½ inch cubes
- 6 cups chicken broth use 8 cups for Stovetop
- 1½ cup savoy cabbage shredded
- 1 carrot julienne
- 3 stalks green onion chopped
- 6-8 fresh shiitake mushrooms or 3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms stems removed, thinly sliced
- 1 pound medium firm tofu ½ inch cubes
- 4 oz bamboo shoots strips
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 2 pinches ground white pepper
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Rehydrate black fungus by covering with hot water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- If using, soak dried mushrooms in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Drain, rinse and gently squeeze out excess water. Remove stems and thinly slice. Set aside.
Electric Pressure Cooker
- In the inner cooking pot of an electric pressure cooker, add ginger, ham and chicken broth.
- Close and lock the lid, making sure the steam knob is on Sealing/Locked. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.
- Once the pressure cooking is done, quick or natural release the pressure.
- Remove the slices of ginger.
- Press Sauté. Add carrots and cabbage and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add bamboo shoots, green onion, mushrooms, tofu, black fungus, rice vinegar, soy sauce.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and stir the slurry into the soup. Simmer until thickened. Add ground white pepper.
- While gently stirring the soup, slowly drizzle in the egg to create the egg ribbons. Cancel Sauté.
- Add sesame oil. Adjust the taste to your liking by adding more vinegar, ground white pepper and/or sesame oil.
Stovetop
- In a large stock pot on high heat, add ginger, ham and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove the slices of ginger. Add carrots and cabbage and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add bamboo shoots, green onion, mushrooms, tofu, black fungus, rice vinegar, soy sauce.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and stir the slurry into the soup. Simmer until thickened. Add ground white pepper.
- While gently stirring the soup, slowly drizzle in the egg to create the egg ribbons.
- Add sesame oil. Adjust the taste to your liking by adding more vinegar, ground white pepper and/or sesame oil.
Notes
*Black fungus is a mushroom that is also known as wood ear fungus or cloud ear fungus.