Hot and sour soup

I LOVE Hot and Sour soup. I made some within the last couple of weeks that was pretty good without referring to a recipe. Some form of heat - hot sauce, black pepper, crushed red pepper, for example. And something to make it sour - vinegar, citric acid, etc. I just did those 2 main components by taste.

Other ingredients that are common are tree ears, bamboo shoots (julienne those), soy sauce and/or fish sauce, chicken broth, beaten egg stirred in egg drop soup style, green onions, tofu (if you're into that) and some form of protein - ground beef or pork, diced chicken, etc. Thicken a little with corn starch.

I have had the H&S soup at China Rose, but didn't like it because it was too sweet. H&S soup shouldn't be sweet IMHO.

The H&S soup at The Egg Roll House in Metairie is too hot with black pepper and not sour at all - not for me.

Little Chinatown has one to my liking.

But the little Chinese restaurant on Cleary has one that really suits my taste - JH Cafe.

Here is America's Test Kitchen recipe:

Hot and Sour Soup

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 Asian supermarkets. If you can’t find it, a combination of red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar approximates its flavor. This soup is very spicy. For a less spicy soup, omit the chili oil altogether or add only 1 teaspoon.

7 oz extra-firm tofu, drained
4 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 Tbs plus 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 boneless center-cut pork chop (1/2 inch thick, about 6 ounces), trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch by 1/8-inch matchsticks
3 Tbs plus 1 teaspoon cool water
1 large egg
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup bamboo shoots (from one 5-ounce can), sliced lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick strips
4 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 1 cup)
5 Tbs Chinese black vinegar or 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (see note)
2 tsp chili oil (see note)
1 tsp ground white pepper
3 medium scallions, sliced thin

Procedure
1. Place the tofu in a pie plate and set a heavy plate on top. Weight with 2 heavy cans and let stand at least 15 minutes (the tofu should release about 1/2 cup liquid). Whisk 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch in medium bowl; toss the pork with the marinade and set aside for at least 10 minutes (but no more than 30 minutes).

2. Combine 3 tablespoons of the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of the water in a small bowl and mix thoroughly; set aside, leaving the spoon in the bowl. Mix the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch with the remaining 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl; add the egg and beat with a fork until combined. Set aside.

3. Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the bamboo shoots and mushrooms and simmer until the mushrooms are just tender, about 5 minutes. While the broth simmers, dice the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the tofu and pork, including the marinade, to the soup, stirring to separate any pieces of pork that stick together. Continue to simmer until the pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes.

4. Stir the cornstarch mixture to recombine. Add it to the soup, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens and turns translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in the vinegar, chili oil, pepper, and remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce and turn off the heat.

5. Without stirring the soup, use a soupspoon to slowly drizzle very thin streams of the egg mixture into the pot in a circular motion. Let the soup sit 1 minute, then return the saucepan to medium-high heat. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then immediately remove from the heat. Gently stir the soup once to evenly distribute the egg; ladle into bowls and top with the scallions.

Servings: 6

Source: Chris Kimball

I used this recipe last time and was surprised at how good it turned out.

LINK

Disclaimer. This will not be the same as hot and sour soup.

I love hot and sour soup and I have found an easy way to scratch the itch at home. Get cheap ramen pork or shrimp noodles. Make the broth with three 1/2 cups of water. Add a good squeeze of siracha, a couple tablespoons of rice vinegar, and soy sauce to taste. If you like, you can make a couple of six minute eggs and when the creamy yolk mixes with the broth it is magical. I also add mushrooms, green onions, and when I have time/money, shrimp.

Like I said, I know that is ramen but the siracha/vinegar combo can make it as hot or sour as you like.