Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and sour soup is a northern Chinese classic, most associated with Beijing and Sichuan tables, built on a bracing contrast: the sourness of black vinegar against a generous, almost fierce hit of white pepper. Silky ribbons of egg, soft tofu and earthy dried mushrooms and wood ear give it body and a satisfying tangle of textures. Unlike chilli-driven dishes, the heat here is peppery rather than fiery — a warming sharpness that clears the head. The two make-or-break moments are the seasoning, which should taste bold and balanced before you thicken, and the egg, poured in a thin stream off the heat so it sets into fine threads rather than clumping. Adjust the vinegar and pepper at the very end, when their aromas are brightest.
Peppery, not fiery
White-pepper heat that clears the head
Black-vinegar tang
Sharp, bracing sourness
Silky egg ribbons
Poured off the heat into fine threads
Tofu & mushrooms
Earthy body, satisfying textures
Ingredients 4 servings
- 1.2 l unsalted chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a meat-free version)
- 150 g firm tofu, cut into thin strips about 5 cm long
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water 20 min and sliced (keep the soaking water)
- 10 g dried wood ear mushrooms, soaked and shredded
- 80 g bamboo shoots, cut into thin strips
- 100 g pork loin, cut into thin strips (optional — omit for vegetarian)
- 3 tbsp Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang), plus more to taste
- 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce (for colour)
- 1.5 tsp white pepper — the soup should taste distinctly peppery
- 0.5 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch (cornflour) mixed with 4 tbsp cold water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 0.5 tsp salt, to taste
How to make it
- 1PREP: soak the shiitake and wood ear mushrooms in hot water until soft, then slice the shiitake and shred the wood ear; slice the tofu, bamboo shoots and pork into matching thin strips so everything cooks evenly.
- 2SIMMER: bring the stock to a gentle simmer (add the strained shiitake soaking water for extra depth); add the pork, mushrooms and bamboo shoots and simmer 5 minutes, skimming any foam.
- 3ADD TOFU: slide in the tofu strips and simmer 2 minutes, stirring gently so they do not break.
- 4SEASON: stir in the light and dark soy, sugar, white pepper and 3 tbsp black vinegar; taste — it should be assertively peppery and sharply sour, so add more pepper or vinegar until it sings.
- 5THICKEN: stir the cornstarch slurry again and pour it in slowly while stirring; simmer 1 minute until the soup turns silky and lightly thickened, enough to coat a spoon.
- 6EGG RIBBONS: turn off the heat; hold a fork over the surface and pour the beaten egg in a thin, steady stream while stirring the soup in a slow circle — the egg sets into delicate ribbons.
- 7FINISH: stir in the sesame oil, scatter the spring onion, and add a final splash of vinegar off the heat so its aroma stays bright; serve piping hot.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
