With the impending winters, nothing savors the taste buds more than delicious and hot homemade soups. There are different Chinese soups that are quick and easy to make, but none taste as good as the hot and sour soup. Here is a simple recipe for the delicious soup that serves for 4 servings:

 

Ingredients

  • 6 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 quart fresh chicken stock
  • ½ cup canned bamboo shoots that are sliced into matchsticks, and are fully drained
  • 1 tablespoon soya sauce
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup boneless chicken breast, cut in cubes
  • ¾ cup tofu, sliced thinly
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 5 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed in 4 tablespoons cold water
  • Sesame oil
  • 1 large egg, beaten

 

Method

  1. Place the shiitake mushrooms in a small bowl filled with hot water. Cover the bowl and leave for 15 minutes.

 

  1. In a separate soup pot, mix the chicken stock, salt, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil.

 

  1. Remove the mushrooms from the hot water and strain them. Slice them thinly, and add them to the soup pot.

 

  1. Now add the bamboo shoots and the chicken cubes to the boiling soup. Lower the heat, and cover thedsc_0654 pot for at least 5 minutes.

 

  1. Add the tofu, pepper, and white vinegar to the soup, and bring to a boil once again.

 

  1. Stirring slowly, add the cornstarch mixture in the pot, and stir till the soup thickens.

 

  1. Add the beaten egg, while stirring gently.

 

  1. Remove the soup from the flame, and ladle it in bowls. Garnish with sesame oil.

 

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