Hot and Sour Soup Recipe

Notes 1, 2 & 3:Note 1. This soup is very spicy. For a less spicy soup, omit the chili oil altogether or add only 1 teaspoon Note 2. To make slicing the pork chop easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. Recipe calls the distinctive flavor of Chinese black vinegar. If you can’t find it, a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar approximates its flavor, or use white vinegar. The substitution for the Chinese vinegar worked well. I got the Chinese black vinegar and didn’t care for the flavor. Note 3. I doubled the amount and mushrooms, I found baby portabellas worked well. I added the starch at the very end too thicken the soup. For vegetarians, remove the pork, not sure what to do about the chicken broth, and would add at least another box of tofu. Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer or 2 people eating two bowls each for dinner and 1 cup each left over for lunch the next day. Place tofu in pie plate and set heavy plate on top. Weight with 2 heavy cans; let stand at least 15 minutes (tofu should release about 1/2 cup liquid). I poured the water off the plate and cut the tofu into 1/2 inch chunks.ny large pieces to get them to the 1/2 inch called out. FYI- tofu in the box has no smell or taste. The Tofu in the refrigerated section in the vegetable department in packages with water smells and tastes like cardboard, I can’t eat it. Use the box, Mori-nu, it is good stuff. Whisk 3 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and 2 teaspoon cornstarch in medium bowl; toss pork with marinade and set aside for at least 10 minutes (but no more than 30 minutes). The meat absorbs most of the marinade. Combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water in small bowl and mix thoroughly and set aside. Mix 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water in small bowl; add egg and beat with fork until combined, set aside. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl. Set aside. Bring broth to boil in large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; add bamboo shoots and mushrooms and simmer until mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. Add tofu and pork, including marinade, to soup, stirring to separate any pieces of pork that stick together. Continue to simmer until pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes Stir 3 tablespoon cornstarch mixture to recombine. Add to soup and increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens and turns translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in vinegar, chili oil, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce; turn off heat.