Hot and Sour Soup

This is a really good recipe for this familiar soup. It comes out tasting just like what you get at a Chinese restaurant!! You will need to go to an Asian market to find some of the ingredients.

Begin by placing all of the following ingredients in a bowl on the counter:

2/3 cup pork tenderloin cut into 1/4 in. thick strips marinated in 2 tsp. dark soy sauce

a handful of dried black mushroom shreds (added to a bowl of warm water)

12 dried lily buds (added to a bowl of warm water)

1/2 cup bamboo shoots cut into 1/8" shreds

4 tbsp. rice vinegar or (2 tbsp. rice vinegar + 2tbsp. black vinegar). . .makes a darker soup

3 oz. tofu cut into 1/4 thick strips

1 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

2 tbsp. chopped scallions

1/4 cup thin dried bean curd crumbled and added to a bowl of water

4 cups of chicken broth

Other ingredients to have ready:

1 tbsp. light soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

3 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup water

2 tsp. sesame oil

Allow the lily buds, mushrooms, and bean curd to soak for 1/2 hr. to an hr. until they are hydrated.

Heat a tsp. of oil in a wok or pan and stir fry the pork for a minute until cooked. Add the lily buds, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. (Make sure to drain them before adding!! Do not add the soaking

water!) Stir fry everything two minutes. Add 4 cups chicken broth. Turn up heat and bring to a light boil.

Add 1 tbsp. light soy sauce and 1 1/2 tsp. sugar to the vinegar. Mix and then add to the soup.

Mix together 1/4 cup water and 3 tbsp. cornstarch (4 if you want thick soup)

Add the cornstarch mixture to the soup and boil lightly until thickened.

Add the tofu, bean curd, white pepper and 2 tsp. sesame oil. Mix well and make sure

the white pepper is evenly distributed.

Served in bowls topped with the chopped scallions.

#hotandsoursoup #soup #chinese