Quick Weeknights · Chinese
Hot and Sour Soup
A properly sour, properly peppery broth thick with wood ear mushrooms, tofu and bamboo, ribboned with egg at the last second.
Why This Works
The volatile compounds responsible for the signature sour and peppery punch are heat-sensitive, so introducing them off-heat preserves their aromatic intensity. By thickening the broth with a cornstarch slurry before adding the eggs, we create the necessary viscosity to suspend the egg ribbons beautifully rather than allowing them to sink to the bottom.
The Upgrade
Add the vinegar in two stages, half off the heat and a splash in each bowl, so the aroma hits before the first spoonful.
Chef's Secret
Michelin TechniqueWhite pepper, not chili, supplies the heat here. It is a different, drier warmth that sits behind the sourness, and swapping in chili oil makes a decent soup that is no longer hot and sour.
Ingredients
Total time including resting: 35 min
Directions
Bring the stock, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and soy sauce to a simmer in a large pot.
8 minAdd the pork and tofu to the pot and simmer gently until the meat is fully cooked through.
4 minStir in the cornstarch slurry and return the soup to a boil to ensure the liquid thickens into a glossy, uniform broth.
2 minTurn off the heat and slowly stream the beaten eggs into the pot while stirring gently in one direction to create delicate ribbons.
1 minStir in the black vinegar and white pepper off-heat to preserve their volatile aromatics, then finish with the sesame oil and scallions.
1 minWine Pairing
Fino Sherry
Fortified
The BottleGonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino
A soup this sour defeats most wines outright. Bone-dry Fino answers acidity with acidity, and its yeasty, almond-like savor lines up with the dried mushrooms rather than competing with them.
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