You Asked for It – Hot and Sour Soup!

Many readers have emailed me and requested for Chinese hot and sour soup for the longest time, so I am really excited to be sharing this super easy hot and sour soup recipe that anyone can make at home.

This recipe takes only 15 minutes from prep to finish and you’ll have a pot of warm, hearty and utterly delicious soup that tastes like it’s straight from your favorite Chinese restaurants.

For those wondering, “What is hot and sour soup?” You might be wondering what is it made of and what ingredients are in hot and sour soup that actually makes it hot and sour.

Is hot and sour soup health? Yes, absolutely. Try my recipe, it’s only 99 calories!

Main Ingredients

My recipe is very easy and quick. It calls for a few simple ingredients:

• Chicken or vegetable stock.
• Tofu.
• Eggs.
• mushrooms.
• There are two seasonings to bring out the iconic flavors of hot and sour soup: soy sauce and vinegar.
• If you like it spicy, you can add some dried chili flakes or chili oil into the soup.

Tips on How to Cook Hot and Sour Soup?

I like Panda Express Hot and Sour Soup so here are the secrets techniques and tips that yield Chinese restaurant’s results:

• DO NOT USE WHISK. This is the biggest mistake when it comes to making Chinese soups. We do not whisk beaten eggs in the soup. The eggs should form into nice, beautiful and silky pieces. The key is to cook the eggs after the heat is turned off.
• Gently swirl the beaten eggs into the soup, stir a few times with a pair of chopsticks.
• Corn starch thickens the soup but do not use too much of it. You want a soup that has a slightly sticky consistency but still runny.

What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?

For a wholesome Chinese dinner, make the following dishes.

How Many Calories Per Serving?

This recipe is only 114 calories per serving.

Kung Pao Chicken

Chow Mein

General Tso’s Chicken

Yield: 4 people

Hot and Sour Soup

Print

Hot and Sour Soup - BEST and EASIEST Chinese hot and sour soup recipe ever! Simple ingredients, takes 15 mins and a zillion times better than takeout! 

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons corn starch + 3 tablespoons water
• 1 can (14.5 oz. /411 g) chicken broth (preferred) or vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 8 oz. (226 g) soft tofu, cut into strips
• 6 oz. (170 g) white button mushroom, stems trimmed and caps quartered
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Chinese vinegar, apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce for coloring purpose
• 3 dashes ground white pepper or black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon chili oil, (optional)
• 1 tablespoon chopped scallion, (optional)

Instructions

1. Add the corn starch and water together, stir to combine well. Set aside.
2. Add the chicken or vegetable broth and water to a medium-sized soup pot on medium heat. Bring it to boil. Add the tofu and white button mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir to combine well. Add in the cornstarch mixture, stir continuously to thicken the soup. Turn off the heat.
3. Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup, count to 10, and then use a pair of chopsticks to stir in a clockwise direction, for 3 times. This will form the silken egg threads in the soup that look very pretty. Add the chili oil and chopped scallions, if using.
4. Dish out and serve immediately.

Notes

If you want to add some heat to the soup, you may add some chili oil or a few pinches of dried red chili flakes.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size

4 people
Amount Per Serving Calories 114Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 41mgSodium 1138mgCarbohydrates 8gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 10g