Hot & Sour Soup
Printable Recipe
1 ounce dried wood ear mushrooms
½ ounce dried lily buds
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 ounces pork loin, cut into 2×¼×¼-inch strips
3 quarts chicken broth
1 8-ounce can bamboo shoot strips, drained
1 14-ounce package firm tofu, cut into 2×¼×¼-inch strips
¼ cup soy sauce
2 large eggs
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 ½ to 2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
¾ teaspoon dark sesame oil
Kosher salt
½ cup sliced green onions
Combine the wood ears and 2 cups hot water in a small bowl and let soak for about 15 minutes, or until rehydrated and pliable. Remove the woods ears to a cutting board and julienne.
Combine the lily buds and ½ cup hot water in a small bowl and let soak for about 15 minutes, or until rehydrated and pliable. Drain the lily buds and shred lengthwise.
Heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the canola oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pot. Add the pork and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Add the broth, bamboo shoots, tofu, soy sauce, wood ears, and lily buds. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until the flavors come together. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Whisk together the cornstarch and ¼ cup water in another small bowl. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the soup and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it thickens and comes back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring slowly while adding the eggs in a thin stream. Stir in the rice vinegar, white pepper, and sesame oil and season to taste with salt. Ladle into individual bowls, top with plenty of green onions, and serve immediately.
Serves 10 to 12 as a first course. You can use more or less rice vinegar and white pepper to your taste. Dried wood ear mushrooms and dried lily buds, which are also known as golden needles, are available at Asian markets.
7 comments:
i've been doing a lot of cooking-takeout-at-home too.
this is one of my fav soups. lily bud is hard to find around here, what would sub well, if any?
Dawn,
I don’t know of any good substitute. If you can’t find them, just leave them out—the soup will still be absolutely delicious.
I haven't had Hot and Sour soup in the longest time. I think I'll make some.
I use fresh lily bulb quite a bit, mostly in salads, but have never tried the dried bulbs (although I do have). Can fresh be used?
foodieforager,
Dried lily buds contribute an interesting crunch to the soup. I suppose you could use fresh ones, it just wouldn’t be what’s traditional.
Great recipe been craving to make hot and sour soup. Thanks!
Looks so yummy!!! I must make this soon. Fresh lily buds are quite crunchy, so I do think they would work well. (I too love the fresh ones in salads!) The fresh are more seasonal so not readily available right now. The dried can be found year round in most asian markets. Thanks for posting this.
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