Hot and sour soup is one of my favourite soup at Chinese restaurant. This soup is savoury, sour, plus hearty and made with loads of healthy ingredients. Super quick and easy to prepare in less than 20 minutes!
I always wanted to recreate this takeout favourite soup at home and finally successful. When the weather start to get cold, all we want to have is a warm, comfort food. Soups are definitely the ones we love to make for the cold weather. When you caught cold or loss in appetite, this is the ideal soup to try out. A cosy bowl of hot and sour soup is very warming, satisfying and it takes only few minutes make. What I love about this soup is that I can just throw all my favourite meat and vegetables in chicken stock and let it bubbles.
How to make hot and sour soup
Basically this savoury soup is made with chicken stock, shredded chicken, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and egg drops. Taste is hot, tangy, savoury and the texture is thick and glossy. There are many different version of hot and sour soup, as everyone like to add their own personal touch. You can also customise your soup by adding any of your favourite protein, vegetables and seasonings.
Sharing my quick and delicious homemade version of hot and sour soup recipe. Hope you likes it and if you try it at your home, let me know your thoughts.
Ingredients you will need
Protein: I use chicken breast for this recipe, but you can add chicken thigh, prawns, seafood, beef or any tender meat you wish. If you have any pre-cooked or boiled chicken, feel free to add in the soup.
Egg: You will need one beaten egg to create the silky egg ribbons. It's very important to pour the egg slowly and stir gently in one direction in a circular motion when pouring.
Vegetables & Tofu: Dried shiitake mushroom or wood ear mushroom, bamboo shoots, tofu, and spring onions are classic ingredients to make this soup. I add extra needle mushroom(enoki) and shredded carrots, you can add any fresh mushrooms or vegetables you wish. Use firm tofu for this recipe as the soft tofu can be mushy in the soup when you stir it.
The Soup Seasonings: Soy sauce, vinegar, and white pepper are the key flavour of this soup. I use Chinese Black vinegar called Chinkiang vinegar in this recipe, but if you can't get in hand easily, white vinegar or rice wine vinegar is the perfect substitute. Combine corn starch and water in a small bowl, add after the veges.
Chicken Stock: You can simply use store-bought low sodium chicken stock, vegetarian stock to save time on your busy days. Or you can add homemade chicken stock if you already have at home.
Vegetarian Option:
As this soup has loads of healthy vegetables and tofu inside, it's absolutely delicious without meat inside. Simply substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock, then you can simply create a vegetarian hot and sour soup!
If you like this soup recipe, you will also love my Tom Yum Soup & Noodles, Wonton Noodle Soup and Chicken Corn Soup recipes.
Delicious Chinese recipes you can pair with this soup:
Watch how to make it video instructions :
Hot and Sour Soup
Ingredients
- 100 g Boneless chicken thigh/breast
- 4-5 cup Chicken/vegetable stock
- 3-4 Shiitake mushroom ( pre-soaked in warm water 30 mins )
- 50 g Firm tofu
- 50 g Bamboo shoots ( fresh or tin)
- ½ cup Shredded carrot
- 30 g Needle mushroom (enoki mushroom) ( or you can use any fresh mushroom )
- ½ tsp Ginger finely chopped
- ½ tsp Garlic finely chopped
- 1 Egg
- 2 Spring onions (cut thin slices)
Seasonings
- 3 tbsp Light soy sauce
- ¼ tsp Dark soy sauce
- 2-3 tbsp Chinese black vinegar ( or regular white vinegar ) ( adjust sour level according to your taste )
- ½ tsp White pepper
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- ¼ tsp Black pepper (optional)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tbsp Corn starch(flour)
- ¼ cup Water
Instructions
- Beat one egg in a bowl and set aside. Mix the corn starch and water in a small bowl set aside.
- In a large pot, pour the chicken stock in, bring it to boil with medium heat, add the chop garlic, ginger and chicken simmer for 2 minutes. Then follow with the shiitake mushroom, tofu and bamboo shoots slices. Simmer for another 2-3 minutes.
- Then add the needle mushroom and shredded carrots.
- Add all the seasoning ingredients, light soy, dark soy, vinegar, white pepper, black pepper, sugar and salt. Then follow with the corn starch water mixture and sesame oil.
- When the soup is start to get thicken, pour the egg slowly and stir gently into one direction.
- Make a taste test and adjust salt and pepper according to your taste.
- Turn off the heat and sprinkle the chopped spring onions.
- Transfer to serving bowl, serve immediately while hot. Garnish with extra spring onions. Enjoy!
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Ginny H says
Why are there no Cheyanne pepper flakes or some sort of pepper (besides The ground White & Black peppers)? Or is this being offered as a temperature hot rather than a spicy heat soup? You do have call for double the amount of white pepper. Is that truly all it is?
Khin says
Hi Ginny, Half teaspoon of white pepper brings some heat to the soup. If you wish to make it a bit spicier, dried red chili flakes would be a great idea.
Caroline Lee says
This soup is amazing. I have been looking for a recipe that does not require any unusual ingredients. This was perfect. Super easy to make and very very close in taste to takeaway bought soup. Highly recommend
Khin says
Thank you for taking the time and sharing your comment Caroline! So glad that you enjoyed this hot and sour soup recipe!
Christina says
Very easy recipe to follow. Delicious. I used more ginger and left out the chicken. Will definitely try more recipes from this website!
Khin says
That's a great idea Christina. Thank you so much for your comment.