Hot and Sour Soup
A Chinese soup with tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, egg ribbons, vinegar and white-pepper heat.
Preparation: 25 min · Cooking: 38 min · Total: 1 hr 3 min · 6 servings
Ingredients
- 300 g firm tofu — Drained; soy allergen.
- 150 g fresh shiitake or brown mushrooms — Wiped clean and thinly sliced.
- 60 ml Chinkiang black vinegar — Add most after cooking; check for wheat.
- 1.5 tsp ground white pepper — Start with less for mild heat.
- 2 large eggs — Keep refrigerated; egg allergen.
- 1200 ml low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock — Check label for allergens.
- 150 g canned bamboo shoots — Drained, rinsed and cut into strips.
- 45 ml light soy sauce — Contains soy and usually wheat.
- 35 g cornstarch — Mix with cold water before adding.
- 80 ml cold water — For the cornstarch slurry.
- 10 ml toasted sesame oil — Sesame allergen.
- 30 g scallions — Thinly sliced.
- 15 ml chili oil (optional) — Optional, for serving.
Instructions
Prepare safely and measure the seasonings
Keep the tofu and eggs refrigerated until needed. Measure the stock, soy sauce, vinegar, white pepper, sesame oil and optional chili oil separately. Wash hands after touching egg shells and keep the raw egg bowl away from scallions and other ready-to-eat garnishes. Check the stock, soy sauce and sesame oil labels for soy, wheat, sesame and other allergens.
Slice the ingredients and make the slurry
Drain the tofu and cut it into 1 cm strips. Wipe the mushrooms clean, remove tough stems and slice the caps 3 mm thick. Drain and rinse the bamboo shoots, cut them into thin strips, and slice the scallions. Whisk the cornstarch with the cold water until lump-free. Beat the eggs in a clean bowl until the whites and yolks are combined.
Simmer the mushrooms, bamboo and tofu
Bring the stock to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and bamboo shoots, reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 8 minutes. Add the tofu strips and soy sauce and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring from the bottom without breaking the tofu. Skim any foam; do not use raw-egg utensils in the pot.
Cook the soup with the retained timer
Start the retained 38-minute timer when the stock first goes on the heat. The heating, 13-minute vegetable-and-tofu simmer, thickening and egg stages should fit within the timer, but use the cues rather than extending the simmer to fill time. Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, not a violent boil, so the tofu stays intact. Stir the cornstarch slurry again immediately before the next stage.
Cook hot and sour soup: 2280 seconds
Thicken, form egg ribbons and season
Pour the slurry into the simmering soup in a thin stream while stirring and cook 2–3 minutes until the broth lightly coats a spoon. Reduce to low heat. Stir the soup in one direction to make a slow current, then drizzle in the beaten eggs in a thin stream. Wait 20 seconds and stir gently to form ribbons; simmer 1 minute until no liquid egg remains. Remove from the heat, then stir in 45 ml vinegar, the white pepper and sesame oil. Taste with a clean spoon and add the remaining vinegar gradually for the desired sourness and optional chili oil for extra heat.
The broth lightly coats a spoon, mushrooms are tender, tofu is hot and intact, and egg ribbons are opaque and fully set with the soup at least 71°C.
Check texture, egg doneness and balance
The finished broth should be glossy and lightly thickened, not gelatinous; tofu should be hot but intact, mushrooms tender and egg ribbons opaque and fully set. The soup must reach at least 71°C after the egg is added. If egg remains translucent or the temperature is lower, simmer 30 seconds more and check again. Adjust sourness with vinegar and heat with white pepper or chili oil only after the egg is safe.
The broth lightly coats a spoon, mushrooms are tender, tofu is hot and intact, and egg ribbons are opaque and fully set with the soup at least 71°C.
Garnish, serve and store safely
Ladle into six bowls, scatter with scallions and serve hot, warning diners that thick soup retains heat. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at 5°C or below for up to 3 days. Reheat once to a rolling simmer or at least 74°C while stirring; discard leftovers held above 5°C for more than 2 hours.
Tips
- Add vinegar after removing the soup from heat so its aroma stays bright.
- Restir cornstarch slurry immediately before pouring because the starch settles quickly.
Common mistakes
- Boiling hard breaks the tofu and makes egg ribbons ragged.
- Adding dry cornstarch directly creates lumps; always make a cold slurry.
- Too much starch makes the soup gluey; wait 2 minutes before deciding it needs more.
Substitutions
- Use rice vinegar if Chinkiang vinegar is unavailable, then add gradually because its acidity differs.
Storage
Refrigerate in shallow covered containers within 2 hours and use within 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat once to a rolling simmer or at least 74°C while stirring.
About this recipe
Chinese hot and sour soup balances vinegar tang with the fragrant heat of white pepper. Tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and delicate egg ribbons give contrasting textures in a lightly thickened broth.
Editorial approval does not establish independent kitchen testing. Check allergens and follow safe food handling.