Hot and Sour Soup
By Rebecca HaysPublished on February 23, 2011
Time
1 hour
Yield
Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer
Ingredients
7 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained4 tablespoons soy sauce 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus an additional 1 ½ teaspoons1 boneless, center-cut, pork loin chop (½ inch thick, about 6 ounces), trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch by ⅛-inch matchsticks3 tablespoons cold water, plus 1 additional teaspoon1 large egg 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup bamboo shoots (from one 5-ounce can), sliced lengthwise into ⅛-inch-thick strips4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1 cup)5 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see note below)2 teaspoons chili oil (see note below)1 teaspoon ground white pepper 3 medium scallions, sliced thin
Before You Begin
To make slicing the pork chop easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. We prefer the distinctive flavor of Chinese black vinegar; look for it in supermarkets that carry a selection of Chinese ingredients. If you can't find it, a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar approximates its flavor. This soup is spicy; for a less spicy soup, omit the chili oil altogether or add only 1 teaspoon.
Instructions
- 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). Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in medium bowl; toss pork with marinade and set aside for at least 10 minutes (but no more than 30 minutes).
- Combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water in small bowl and mix thoroughly; set aside, leaving spoon in bowl. Mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with remaining 1 teaspoon water in small bowl; add egg and beat with fork until combined. 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. While broth simmers, dice tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. 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 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.
- Without stirring soup, use soupspoon to slowly drizzle very thin streams of egg mixture into pot in circular motion. Let soup sit 1 minute, then return saucepan to medium-high heat. Bring soup to gentle boil, then immediately remove from heat. Gently stir soup once to evenly distribute egg; ladle into bowls and top with scallions.
Time
1 hourYield
Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizerIngredients
7 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus an additional 1 ½ teaspoons
1 boneless, center-cut, pork loin chop (½ inch thick, about 6 ounces), trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch by ⅛-inch matchsticks
3 tablespoons cold water, plus 1 additional teaspoon
1 large egg
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup bamboo shoots (from one 5-ounce can), sliced lengthwise into ⅛-inch-thick strips
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1 cup)
5 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see note below)
2 teaspoons chili oil (see note below)
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 medium scallions, sliced thin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
7 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus an additional 1 ½ teaspoons
1 boneless, center-cut, pork loin chop (½ inch thick, about 6 ounces), trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch by ⅛-inch matchsticks
3 tablespoons cold water, plus 1 additional teaspoon
1 large egg
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup bamboo shoots (from one 5-ounce can), sliced lengthwise into ⅛-inch-thick strips
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1 cup)
5 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see note below)
2 teaspoons chili oil (see note below)
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 medium scallions, sliced thin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
7 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
3 tablespoons cornstarch, plus an additional 1 ½ teaspoons
1 boneless, center-cut, pork loin chop (½ inch thick, about 6 ounces), trimmed of fat and cut into 1 inch by ⅛-inch matchsticks
3 tablespoons cold water, plus 1 additional teaspoon
1 large egg
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup bamboo shoots (from one 5-ounce can), sliced lengthwise into ⅛-inch-thick strips
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced ¼ inch thick (about 1 cup)
5 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see note below)
2 teaspoons chili oil (see note below)
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 medium scallions, sliced thin
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To get deep, complex heat, we created the "hot" side of the soup with two heat sources—a full teaspoon of distinctive, penetrating white pepper and a little chili oil. To create the “sour” side, we settled on 5 tablespoons of Chinese black vinegar.
Before You Begin
To make slicing the pork chop easier, freeze it for 15 minutes. We prefer the distinctive flavor of Chinese black vinegar; look for it in supermarkets that carry a selection of Chinese ingredients. If you can't find it, a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar approximates its flavor. This soup is spicy; for a less spicy soup, omit the chili oil altogether or add only 1 teaspoon.
Instructions
- 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). Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in medium bowl; toss pork with marinade and set aside for at least 10 minutes (but no more than 30 minutes).
- Combine 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water in small bowl and mix thoroughly; set aside, leaving spoon in bowl. Mix remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with remaining 1 teaspoon water in small bowl; add egg and beat with fork until combined. 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. While broth simmers, dice tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. 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 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.
- Without stirring soup, use soupspoon to slowly drizzle very thin streams of egg mixture into pot in circular motion. Let soup sit 1 minute, then return saucepan to medium-high heat. Bring soup to gentle boil, then immediately remove from heat. Gently stir soup once to evenly distribute egg; ladle into bowls and top with scallions.
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