Chinese Hot and Sour Soup with Shiitake and Tofu 🥣✨

Description

Chinese Hot and Sour Soup with Shiitake and Tofu is glossy, warming, peppery, tangy, and deeply comforting, with silky tofu, earthy mushrooms, bamboo shoots, egg ribbons, and a rich broth balanced by black vinegar and white pepper. It has strong search appeal, classic restaurant recognition, and a beautiful dark-soup look that fits perfectly into a premium Chinese soup category. ✨

Hook ✨

Sharp black vinegar, warm white pepper, silky tofu, and delicate egg ribbons turn this Chinese soup into a bold, comforting bowl with real restaurant-style depth. 🥣

Ingredients

• Soup base 🍲
• 🍄 120 g fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (4.2 oz)
• 🧈 250 g firm tofu, cut into thin strips (8.8 oz)
• 🎍 120 g bamboo shoots, thinly sliced (¾ cup / 4.2 oz)
• 🥕 80 g carrot, thinly julienned (½ cup / 2.8 oz)
• 🧅 40 g spring onion, finely sliced (½ cup / 1.4 oz)
• 🧄 10 g garlic, finely minced (2 cloves / 0.35 oz)
• 🫚 12 g fresh ginger, finely grated (1 tbsp / 0.42 oz)
• Broth and seasoning 🥢
• 💧 1 l chicken or vegetable stock (4 cups / 34 fl oz)
• 🥢 45 ml light soy sauce (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🍶 35 ml Chinkiang black vinegar (2 tbsp + 1 tsp / 1.2 fl oz)
• 🌶️ 8 g chili garlic sauce (1½ tsp / 0.28 oz)
• ⚪ 3 g white pepper (¾ tsp / 0.1 oz)
• 🍬 4 g sugar (1 tsp / 0.14 oz)
• 🧂 3 g fine salt, or to taste (½ tsp / 0.1 oz)
• To thicken and finish ✨
• 🌽 18 g cornstarch (2 tbsp / 0.63 oz)
• 💧 45 ml cold water (3 tbsp / 1.5 fl oz)
• 🥚 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 🌰 10 ml toasted sesame oil (2 tsp / 0.34 fl oz)
• 🌿 10 g cilantro, optional (⅓ cup / 0.35 oz)

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Prepare the ingredients 🍄
2. Slice the shiitake mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots, carrot, and spring onion before heating the pot. Keep everything thin and even so the soup feels delicate, glossy, and restaurant-style rather than heavy. ✨
3. 2️⃣ Build the aromatic base 🧄
4. Add the stock to a large pot, then stir in the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sugar, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat for 3–4 min so the broth becomes fragrant. 🥢
5. 3️⃣ Add vegetables and tofu 🍲
6. Add the shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrot, and tofu. Simmer gently for 6–7 min until the mushrooms soften and the tofu absorbs the savory broth without breaking apart. 🍄
7. 4️⃣ Balance the sour heat 🍶
8. Stir in the Chinkiang black vinegar and taste the broth. It should feel tangy, peppery, savory, and warm, with the vinegar brightening the soup without making it harsh. 🌶️
9. 5️⃣ Thicken the soup 🌽
10. Mix the cornstarch with cold water until smooth. Pour it slowly into the simmering soup while stirring gently, then cook for 1–2 min until the broth turns lightly glossy and coats the spoon. ✨
11. 6️⃣ Add the egg ribbons 🥚
12. Reduce the heat to low. Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup in a thin stream while stirring gently in one direction. Let the ribbons set for 30–40 sec without boiling hard. 🥣
13. 7️⃣ Finish and serve 🌿
14. Turn off the heat, then stir in the sesame oil and spring onion. Finish with cilantro if using and serve immediately while hot, glossy, tangy, and deeply aromatic. 🥢

Total Time

⏱ Prep: 15 min
🔥 Cook/Bake: 18 min
🛋 Rest: 0 min
⏰ Total: 33 min

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