Hot and Sour Soup (Quick, Simple, and Vegetarian)
Hot and sour soup, a classic Chinese soup that’s savory, and well, hot and sour. You’ll find it at almost every Chinese restaurant in the US. But did you know that this is one of the easiest and quickest soups to make right at home?
This is our recipe for Hot and Sour Soup, vegetarian style. Most hot and sour soups call for pork, but to be honest, it doesn’t do much for me. Not adding meat makes this so much easier to make – without compromising on taste. The flavor comes from the spices and sauces and you still get your protein from the tofu. What? Easier to cook without meat AND you can help out the planet by eating less meat WITHOUT comprosing on taste? It’s a win all around.
Try it for yourself!
Recipe Notes
TOTAL TIME: About 30 minutes.
SERVES: 6-8
EQUIPMENT: A pot for soup (not those gigantic ones; about 3 qt-size is good)
Ingredients
- Woodear Mushroom (I like the small kind so I don’t have to thinly slice up)
- Egg
- Tofu (silken/soft)
- Rice Vinegar
- Soy Sauce (dark – richer in flavor and color, and also less salty than light)
- White Pepper
- Corn Starch
- Green Onion (for garnish)
Instructions
- Soak woodear mushrooms
- Fill half the pot with water and boil on medium-high heat
- Delicately slice tofu into slender column stacks – and gently add to pot
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and white pepper
- Add soaked woodear mushrooms
- Stir gently and bring to a boil, and let simmer
- Add corn starch
- Drop and beat in egg
- Simmer on medium heat for 15 min. more to get the flavors to come together
- Serve and add green onion for garnish
Goes Great With...
I pair this hot and sour soup with my Chinese-inspired dishes at home. And on days when I just want soup, I just make this. But here’s a few ideas of what to couple with this soup for a more complete meal:
- Rice, of course
- Sauteed green leafies – Chinese classics such as spinach, bok choy, mustard greens, or on choy
- dumplings
- buns
Kitchen Notes
Some quick notes when making this recipe:
- Woodear mushrooms – woodear soaks up water quite rapidly and doesn’t need very long to hydrate. This is why I don’t include an instruction on pre-soaking. Just make sure to soak the woodear as the first step of the recipe. By the time you finish finely slicing the tofu, the woodear should be soaked enough to add to the pot. 10-15 minutes of total soaking time is sufficient. I use the small woodears in this recipe, but if you have the big ones, then finely slice up once soaked and toss into pot.
- Tofu – I prefer the silken and soft tofu, although you could totally use the firmer tofus too. Just a matter of preference on texture. (Fun fact: the firmer the tofu, the more the protein.)
- Corn Starch – Make sure you mix corn starch with a little bit of water in a separate bowl BEFORE adding into the boiling soup. Otherwise, you’ll create starchy globules rather than a thick soup. This goes for all dishes using corn starch 🙂
- Egg – This is important: Make sure to drop in the egg when the soup is gently boiling. In order to create the beautiful ribbon effect, the egg needs to be dropped in when the soup is boiling and beat in the egg IMMEDIATELY. Otherwise, the soup will have a cloudy look and texture.
- Bamboo – you can add this, but I omit. Doesn’t do much for me, as the woodear provides enough great contrasting texture already. Plus, who wants that BPA, as most (affordable) bamboos come canned.
Fun Facts
What's Woodear?
The woodear mushroom (Auricularia heimuer) is a common East Asian ingredient known for its gelatinousy and rubbery texture, and its incredible ability to absorb the flavors of whatever sauce its cooked in. There’s no distinct flavor with woodear, making it a great complement to enhance the texture and flavors of the dish its being added to.
It’s also an incredibly nutritious food with countless health benefits. Woodear has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, and is known for its anti-inflammation properties, lowering bad cholesterol, and packing powerful antioxidants. Read more.
Enjoy!
Hot and Sour Soup (Vegetarian)
Equipment
- 1 soup pot 3-qt
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup woodear Mushroom I used the small woodears
- 1 egg
- 1 tofu use the whole container
- 1/4 cup soy sauce dark soy sauce; splash in
- 2-4 tbspn rice vinegar depending on how sour you like it. I like mine vinegary (use less if you don't)
- 3 tbspn corn starch
- 1 tsp white pepper dash it in, to taste
- salt to taste
- green onion to garnish
Instructions
- Soak woodear mushroom in a bowl
- Fill half of pot with water and place on medium-high heat, place lid on to maintain heat/speed it up
- Slice tofu into slender column stacks, then gently transfer to pot
- Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, woodear, and white pepper. Gently stir.
- Bring all to a boil and let simmer for 15-20 min to let flavors meld together
- Add corn starch (make sure to add water to corn starch in a separate container and to mix with water before adding to the soup --- do not directly add to soup),
- Stir and bring to a boil
- Once soup is boiling, drop in and beat in egg, making sure to beat the egg immediately to create the ribbon effect. (Important: Soup must come to a boil first!)
- Stir and let simmer on medium-heat for 15 min.
- Serve and add green onions to garnish
To Share
4 Comments
Random Little Thoughts
This looks delicious! I love that it’s quick, simple, and vegetarian while still packed with bold flavor. Hot and sour soup is such a comfort food, and your recipe makes it feel totally doable at home. Can’t wait to try it!
Imperfectly Wabi Sabi
I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make at home the first time I attempted to make it. It was something I thought I always had to go to the restaurants for, but it’s so easy to make at home! Plus, I can adjust it to exactly how I like it. You get so much variation from restaurants that I prefer to make in my own kitchen instead now. Enjoy!
Meredith
This is not a style of cooking I am very familiar with, but you made it so easy and approachable. I feel like I could make this! Thank you for sharing.
Imperfectly Wabi Sabi
If you want hearty and bold from a soup, this is a good place to start! Let me know how it goes!