Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and sour soup has an inviting tang that makes the next spoonful hard to resist. Soft ribbons of egg wind around the tofu and mushrooms in the savory broth. A little sesame oil gives the finish a warm aroma, with green onion fresh on top.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 14 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Tofu & tempeh
- Cuisine
- Asian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Tender mushrooms first
Simmer the mushrooms until tender before thickening the broth and adding the beaten eggs.
2. Smooth the cornstarch
Whisk the cornstarch with cold water until combined before stirring it into the hot broth.
3. Pour eggs slowly
Stir the broth in a circle as you slowly pour in the eggs to form soft strands.
Get to know the ingredients
Tofu
Drain the extra firm tofu and cut it into the specified small pieces before adding it.
Ginger
Use the fresh ginger as a whole slice, then remove and discard it after the mushrooms soften.
Mushrooms
Thinly slice the shiitake caps so they simmer with the bamboo shoots in the seasoned broth.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 7 steps completeMake room for Hot and Sour Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Green onion garnish
Serve the soup after the tofu is heated through, with extra sliced green onion if desired.
A little more help as you go
Just thicken the broth
Cook the cornstarch addition only until the soup has just thickened before making the egg ribbons.
Sesame oil late
Stir the sesame oil in with the tofu and green onions during the final heating stage.
A few questions you might have
Can I add more hot sauce?
Yes, the hot sauce amount can increase to taste for a sharper heat in the broth.
Are the eggs beaten first?
Yes, beat them before pouring slowly into the moving soup so they distribute as ribbons.
Does the tofu need a long simmer?
Add it near the end and cook only until heated through with the final seasonings.
When does the rice vinegar go in?
It joins the chicken broth and other seasonings at the start, before the mushrooms simmer.
Do the bamboo shoots need slicing?
Yes, use thinly sliced bamboo shoots so their pieces fit comfortably among the mushrooms and tofu.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
