A few weeks ago I had a craving for Hot & Sour Soup but didn’t feel like going out. Well, that and I really like to cook things at home so I know what is in the food that I am eating. Here is my version of Hot & Sour Soup.
A few days after I made this we did end up going out for Chinese food. Both my husband and I agreed that my version was MUCH better.
Ingredients
8 cups chicken broth or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat
10 ounce chicken breast, cooked, cubed
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 small onion cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 ounce mushroom sliced
2 carrot cut into match sticks
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon pepper
pinch cayenne
3 tablespoons corn starch (make sure you choose a gluten-free brand)
3 tablespoons Braggs liquid amino acid
6 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg white, beaten
3 large scallion trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 ounce tofu cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Instructions
In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups chicken stock to a boil. Add chicken breast; poach until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; slice in half crosswise, then into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Set aside. Pass stock through a cheesecloth-lined sieve set over a medium bowl; set aside.
In a 6-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-low heat, add garlic and cover. Saute stirring occasionally, until translucent, 6 to 7 minutes. Add mushrooms, and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add reserved and remaining chicken stock, carrots, ginger, black pepper and cayenne; bring liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 3 minutes.
Place cornstarch in a small bowl, and slowly whisk in soy sauce until cornstarch has dissolved. Whisk in vinegar. Slowly whisk cornstarch mixture into soup. Simmer until soup is clear, 5 to 7 minutes. Add reserved chicken, and continue simmering until chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
Slowly pour beaten eggs through a perforated spoon into soup. Cover soup, and let stand 1 minute. Remove the cover, and gently stir. Add scallions and tofu. To serve, ladle into individual bowls.
Yields: 8 Servings
Rocks! I was doing a little substituting because ai didn’t have everything and am under the weather and didn’t feel like going to the grocery. I didn’t have fresh mushrooms, so I re-hydrated some dried woodland mushrooms to use. Then there was that rich mushroom liquid from doing that, so I threw it in. Gave it a really nice richness. I left out the cornstarch because I have blood glucose stuff and just try to skip all the processed stuff I can. It is excellent. Better than restaurant by a long shot! Bookmarking this baby.
I am so very glad you liked it.