Hot and Sour Soup

This restaurant-style Hot and Sour Soup recipe is the best!! It’s quick and simple to make, easy to adapt to your personal taste preferences, and so delicious.

Can’t stop, won’t stop with the soup recipes this winter. ♡

And today’s recipe is one that I’ve been meaning to share with you on the blog for years, after literally dozens and dozens of you have requested it. (This usually comes up when I’m chatting about my favorite egg drop soup recipe — apparently many of you usually opt for the hot and sour soup at your favorite Chinese restaurants and have wanted to learn how to make it!)

Well, good news, friends! Traditional hot and sour soup is actually incredibly easy to make as well. And the bonus of making it at home is that it’s also incredibly easy to customize to your taste. Like it extra hot? Add in more chili garlic sauce. Like it extra sour? Add in more rice wine vinegar. Like it vegetarian? Make it with tofu. Like the meat version? Just add in some pork.

Trust me, this is one of those restaurant recipes that will taste just as good at home. And on chilly winter weeks like this one that we’re having here in Kansas City, it’s guaranteed to warm you up in the most delicious of ways.

Hot And Sour Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Hot and Sour Soup Ingredients:

To make this hot and sour soup recipe, you will need:

• Broth: Either chicken or veggie stock (or broth) will do.
• Mushrooms: I highly recommend using shiitake mushrooms, but baby bella or even button mushrooms would also do.
• Rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, ground ginger: To flavor the broth.
• Cornstarch: To thicken the broth.
• Eggs: Which we will whisk, and the drizzle into the soup to make those lovely egg ribbons.
• Firm tofu: Which we will cube and add to the soup.
• Green onions: To stir into the soup and also sprinkle on top as a garnish.
• Toasted sesame oil: An essential flavor in the soup, which we will drizzle at the very end.
• Salt and pepper: Hot and sour soup is traditionally made with white pepper, which (heads up) has a different and much stronger flavor than black pepper. I recommend adding in a pinch, and then you can always add in more later. Or if you don’t have white pepper, black pepper will also do.
• Optional: Many restaurant versions of hot and sour soup are also made with bamboo shoots. I’m personally not a fan of them, but you are welcome to add some in if you would like.

How To Make Hot and Sour Soup:

To make this hot and sour soup recipe, simply…

1. Make your cornstarch slurry. Whisk together 1/4 cup of the stock and cornstarch until combined. Set aside.
2. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the remaining stock, mushrooms, bamboo shoots (if using), rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chili garlic sauce to a large stock pot, and cook until the soup reaches a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue cooking for a minute or so, until the soup has thickened.
3. Drizzle in those beautiful egg ribbons! While stirring the soup in a circular motion with one hand, use your other hand to slowly drizzle the whisked eggs into the soup.
4. Season the soup. Stir in the tofu, half of the green onions, and sesame oil. Then season the soup with salt and black pepper (or white pepper) to taste.
5. Serve.  Ladle up your servings while the soup is nice and hot, garnished with extra green onions.

What To Serve With Hot & Sour Soup:

Here are a few of my favorite dishes that pair well with hot and sour soup:

• The BEST Fried Rice
• 12-Minute Chicken & Broccoli
• 20-Minute Moo Shu Pork (or Chicken)
• Beef & Broccoli
• Thai Basil Chicken
• Sesame Noodles with Broccoli and Almonds
• Black Pepper Chicken

More Favorite Soup Recipes:

If you love egg drop soup, feel free to check out these other favorite soup recipes:

• Egg Drop Soup
• Miso Soup
• Tom Kha Gai
• Egg Roll Soup
• Everyday Green Curry
• Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup

Hot and Sour Soup

4.88 from 412 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Makes: 6 -8 servings

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This classic Chinese hot and sour soup recipe is quick and easy to make, full of delicious flavor, easy to make vegetarian (with tofu!) or with pork, and it totally rivals any soup I’ve tried at a Chinese restaurant!

Equipment

• ▢
  Chili Garlic Sauce
• ▢
  White Pepper
• ▢
  Toasted Sesame Oil

Ingredients

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• 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms (or baby bella mushrooms), thinly-sliced with stems discarded
• 1 (8-ounce) can bamboo shoots, drained (optional)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, whisked
• 8 ounces firm tofu*, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Kosher salt and white pepper (or black pepper)

Instructions

• ▢
  Set aside ¼ cup of the chicken or vegetable broth for later use.
• ▢
  Add the remaining 7 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth, mushrooms, bamboo shoots (if using), rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chili garlic sauce to a large stock pot, and stir to combine.  Heat over medium-high heat until the soup reaches a simmer.
• ▢
  While the soup is heating, whisk together the ¼ cup of broth (that you had set aside) and cornstarch in a small bowl until completely smooth.  Once the soup has reached a simmer, stir in the cornstarch mixture and stir for 1 minute or so until the soup has thickened.
• ▢
  Continue stirring the soup in a circular motion, then drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream (while still stirring the soup) to create egg ribbons.  Stir in the tofu, half of the green onions, and sesame oil.  Then season the soup with salt and a pinch* of white pepper (or black pepper) to taste.  If you’d like a more “sour” soup, feel free to add in another tablespoon or two of rice wine vinegar as well.  Or if you’d like a spicier soup, add in more chili garlic sauce.
• ▢
  Serve immediately, garnished with the extra green onions.

Notes

Pork option: Or, you’re welcome to make this with pork instead of tofu.  Just add in a half pound of cooked pork — ground pork, or you can thinly-slice pork chops or pork loin — in place of the tofu.

White pepper: I prefer using a pinch of white pepper in this soup instead of black pepper.  But if you are new to cooking with white pepper, heads up that it has a much stronger (and slightly) different flavor than black pepper!  I recommend starting with a small pinch, then you can always add more to taste.

Additional Info

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Chinese

Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

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