Hot and sour soup
A comforting, tangy Chinese hot and sour soup with pork, silken tofu and wood ear mushrooms — quick, sharp and properly warming.
This hot and sour soup hits all the right notes — sharp, savoury and pleasantly spicy. It’s the sort of bowl you make when you want something restaurant-style but faster and cheaper.
Using pork mince keeps the texture light and the silken tofu adds silkiness; Chinkiang vinegar does the heavy lifting for that characteristic tang. Make it for a chilled evening or as the starter to a Chinese feast.
Ingredients
- 1 l chicken stock
- 200 g pork mince
- 200 g silken tofu
- 15 g dried wood ear mushrooms — soak in warm water before use
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 140 g bamboo shoots — tinned, drained
- 1 brown onion — medium, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves — finely chopped
- 25 g fresh ginger — peeled and finely grated
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 45 ml Chinkiang vinegar
- 25 g cornflour — divide: part for pork binding, part for slurry
- 1 egg — lightly beaten
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 5 ml sesame oil
- 15 ml chilli oil — plus extra to drizzle, optional
- 5 ml dried chilli flakes — adjust to taste
- 5 ml white pepper
- 5 ml sugar
- 2 spring onions — finely sliced for garnish
- salt — to taste
Equipment
- large saucepan
- measuring jug
- small bowl
Instructions
Place the dried wood ear mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water. Leave to soak until fully rehydrated and soft, 30 minutes. Drain, trim any hard stem and slice into thin ribbons.
In a small bowl mix the pork mince with 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp of the cornflour. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes — this helps the pork stay tender when cooked.
Prepare the remaining ingredients: slice the brown onion and chestnut mushrooms, drain the bamboo shoots, cut the silken tofu into 1 cm cubes, finely chop the garlic and grate the ginger. Beat the egg and finely slice the spring onions.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the brown onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 3–4 minutes until softened and fragrant.
Add the marinated pork mince and break it up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 3–4 minutes until no pink remains.
Stir in the chestnut mushrooms and bamboo shoots and cook for 2–3 minutes so they start to take on the flavours from the pan.
Pour in the chicken stock, add the rehydrated wood ear mushrooms, the remaining light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, sugar, white pepper and dried chilli flakes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Mix the remaining cornflour with 60 ml cold water in a small jug to make a smooth slurry. Slowly stir the slurry into the simmering soup until it thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
Reduce the heat to low. Slowly pour the beaten egg into the soup in a thin stream while stirring gently to create delicate egg ribbons. Add the silken tofu and warm through for 30 seconds — do not boil vigorously after adding the egg or tofu.
Turn off the heat. Stir in the sesame oil and chilli oil, check seasoning and add salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and scatter over the sliced spring onions. Serve immediately.
Tips
- If you can’t find Chinkiang vinegar use rice vinegar with a splash of dark soy for colour — the depth will be a little different but still tasty.
- Divide the cornflour as directed: a little in the pork helps the meat stay tender; the rest makes the slurry to thicken the soup quickly and evenly.
- Do not boil after adding the beaten egg or the silken tofu — high heat will break the tofu and make the egg clumpy.
- Make ahead: the base (without egg and tofu) keeps in the fridge for 2 days; add tofu and reheat gently, then add the beaten egg just before serving.
- Adjust the chilli by using less dried flakes and adding more chilli oil at the table — that way non-spicy diners can control their heat.
Substitutions
pork mince → shredded cooked chicken, same weight
Stays closesilken tofu → firm tofu, same weight but add slightly earlier and simmer gently
Noticeably differentChinkiang vinegar → mild rice vinegar + 1 tsp dark soy sauce (for colour and depth)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 264
- Calories
- 18 g
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 800 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — swap chicken stock for vegetable stock and replace the pork mince with finely diced king oyster mushrooms or extra tofu. Omit any non-vegetarian sauces.
How do I get good egg ribbons?
Beat the egg well, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and pour the egg in a thin steady stream while stirring the soup gently with the other hand.
Why did my soup become gloopy?
Most likely too much cornflour slurry added at once. Add the slurry gradually and stop when the soup reaches a light coat-thickness; it will also thicken slightly as it stands.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Not recommended. Silken tofu and egg change texture when frozen. Keep leftovers in the fridge and eat within 48 hours.
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