Truly easy, this soup comes together quickly as far as soups go; and you will be rewarded by multi-layered flavors and textures. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal on a cold winter’s day.
When the original recipe came to my attention, I was thrilled to see the shorter list of ingredients and only two steps for preparation. TWO STEPS! I knew on initial reading – this was going to be a keeper, and now it’s in our regular rotation for a warming meal on these cold and rainy (Yay!) days.
The recipe’s pedigree is impeccable, from the Lucky Peach cookbook by Peter Meehan. If you’re a David Chang, Momofuku, Lucky Peach Magazine fan; you will recognize the lighter hand and clean flavors. I appreciate the opportunity to prepare this at home using organic ingredients.
By all means – play with this recipe! Add or subtract ingredients to your liking; or to what you have on hand. Use fresh or dried shitake mushrooms, both are readily available. If the latter, be sure to reconstitute them in boiling water as instructed with the dried wood ear mushrooms in the recipe. Add sliced bamboo shoots if they’re high on your list; ditto for sliced water chestnuts for a bit of crunch. I know a few of you are already reaching for your secret ghost pepper sauce…No one is claiming “authentic” here, just satisfy your taste buds!
Easy Hot and Sour Soup
Adapted from Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes by Peter Meehan and the editors of Lucky Peach magazine
INGREDIENTS
- 1 ounce dried wood ear mushrooms (Aka dried black fungus, available in Asian grocery stores)
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1/ 2 pound lean pork shoulder, sliced 1/ 8-inch thick and cut into 1 x 1/ 4-inch strips
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
- 1/ 2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/ 4 cup carrot, sliced into thin strips
- 8 ounces fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced 1/ 4-inch thick
- 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
- 1/ 2 pound soft tofu, cut into 1/ 4 x 1-1/ 2- inch strips
- 1/ 3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar, plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons thin soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground; plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce or Sriracha, plus more for serving
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- Salt to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small bowl, cover the dried wood ear mushrooms with boiling water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain and slice into 1/ 4-inch strips. Discard the soaking water.
- In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the oil. Add the pork, garlic, ginger, green onions and carrots. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the pork is golden brown; about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock and add the tofu, 1/ 3 cup vinegar, soy sauce, sugar pepper, sesame oil, mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of chili-garlic sauce. Bring the soup to a simmer and season with salt. While stirring constantly, drizzle in the eggs and cook until strands form; about 1 minute.
- Serve hot, along with additional rice vinegar and chili sauce to taste.
