Hot and Sour Soup
One of china's most popular soups, this is famed for its clever balance of flavours. The "Hot" comes from pepper; the "Sour" from vinegar. Similar soups are found throughout asia, some relying on chillies and lime juice to provide the essential flavour contrast.
Ingredients
- 4-6 Chinese dried mushrooms 2-3 small pieces of wood ear and a few golden needles (lily buds) (optional)
- 115g / 4oz pork fillet, cut into fine strips
- 45ml / 3 tbsp cornflour
- 150mI / ¼ pint / ⅔ cup water
- 15-30ml / 1-2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1.5 litres / 2½ pints / 6¼ cups good quality beef or chicken stock, or 2 x 300g / 11oz cans consommé made up to the full quantity with water
- 150g / 5oz drained fresh firm beancurd (tofu), diced
- 60ml / 4 tbsp rice vinegar 15ml / 1 tbsp light soy sauce 1 egg, beaten
- 5 ml / 1 tsp sesame oil
- salt and ground white or black pepper 2-3 spring onions, shredded, to garnish
Preparation
 |  |  |
- Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl, with the pieces of wood ear and the golden needles (lily buds), if using. Add sufficient warm water to cover and leave to soak for about 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking water. Cut off and discard the mushroom stems and slice the caps finely. Trim away any tough stem from the wood ears, then chop them finely. Using kitchen string, tie the golden needles into a bundle.
- Lightly dust the strips of pork fillet with some of the cornflour; mix the remaining cornflour to a smooth paste with the measured water.
- Heat the oil in a wok or saucepan and fry the onion until soft. Increase the heat and fry the pork until it changes colour. Add the stock or consommé, mushrooms, soaking water, and wood ears and golden needles, if using. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Discard the golden needles, lower the heat and stir in the cornflour paste to thicken. Add the beancurd, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt and pepper.
- Bring the soup to just below boiling point, then drizzle in the beaten egg by letting it drop from a whisk (or to be authentic, the fingertips) so that it forms threads in the soup. Stir in the sesame oil and serve at once, garnished with spring onion shreds.
Serves 6.