SOUP - Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣湯)

By Aemelia

Ingredients

• Marinade:
• 60 gm pork fillet, shredded
• 1 Tbsp shredded ginger
• 1/2 carrot, shredded
• 30 gm bamboo shoots, fresh or frozen
• 1 wood ear（木耳）, about 8 gm, soaked until softened
• 3 shiitake mushrooms, soaked until softened
• 2 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• 1 block tofu
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• salt, to taste
• 5 Tbsp black vinegar
• 1/4 tsp chilli oil
• white pepper, to taste
• coriander, for garnish
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornflour / corn starch
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• sesame oil, to taste
• Thickening:
• 1 Tbsp cornflour / corn starch
• 2 Tbsp water

Details

Adapted from en.christinesrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Mix the pork with the marinade. Shred all ingredients. Set aside.
Use a large deep pot to heat oil over medium high heat. Sauté the ginger until aromatic. Add the carrot, bamboo shoots, wood ear and mushrooms. Stir to combine and cook until they start to be softened. Pour chicken stock and water. Bring it to a boil. Add the pork and cook until turned white. Add thickening. Cook to preferred consistency. Add the tofu. When it boils again. Remove from the heat.
Slowly pour the whisked egg in a small stream while stirring the soup with a pair of chop sticks. You’ll get beautiful egg drop / egg flower in the soup. Season with light soy sauce, and salt if necessary. Add black vinegar and chilli oil. Sprinkle pepper. Remember to taste. Garnish with coriander. Serve immediately.


Notes：
You can skip the pork and use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian. It’s equally delicious.
That said, this soup is traditionally made with 2 parts of soy sauce with 1 part of black vinegar. I like to go for a less salty version. Feel free to adjust the amount of soy sauce and black vinegar according to your liking.
Generously sprinkle white pepper as mush as you like.