Hot and Sour Soup - Khin's Kitchen Hot and Sour Soup Recipe (2024)

Published: Oct 17, 2020 · Modified: Oct 1, 2022 · by Khin · This post may contain affiliate links.

This delicious Hot and Sour Soup is one of the best classic Chinese recipes loaded with healthy ingredients. A perfect combination of savoury, hot, sour, plus hearty. Super quick and easy to prepare in less than 20 minutes!

When the weather starts to get cold, all we want to have is warm, comfort food. Soups are definitely the ones we love to make for the cold weather but you can enjoy any season of the year. Tomato Egg Drop Soup, ABC Soup and Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup, are also Chinese restaurants and takeaway favourite soups that our readers loves. I always wanted to recreate this restaurant-style hot and sour soup at home and was finally successful.

What is hot and sour soup?

Basically, this savoury soup is made with chicken stock, shredded chicken, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and egg drops. The taste is hot, tangy, savoury and the texture is thick and glossy. There are many different versions of hot and sour soup, as everyone like to add their own personal touch. You can also customize your soup by adding any of your favourite protein, vegetables, and seasonings.

Why you would love this recipe

When you caught a cold, lose appetite, or sick, this is the ideal soup to try out. A cozy bowl soup is very warming and satisfying and it takes only a few minutes to make. What I love about this soup is that I can just throw all my favourite meat and vegetables in chicken stock and let it bubbles.

Ingredients you need

Protein: I use chicken breast for this recipe, but you can add chicken thighs, prawns, seafood, beef, pork, or any tender meat you wish. If you have any pre-cooked or boiled shredded chicken, feel free to add it to the soup.

Egg: You will need one beaten egg to create the silky egg ribbons.

Vegetables: Dried or fresh shiitake mushroom, wood ear mushroom, lily buds ( dried lily flowers ), bamboo shoots, and spring onions are classic vegetables to make Chinese hot and soup. I add extra needle mushroom(enoki) and shredded carrots. Add any fresh mushrooms or vegetables that you love.

Tofu: Use firm tofu or extra firm tofu for this recipe as the soft tofu can be mushy in the soup when you stir it.

The Soup Seasonings: Soy sauce, vinegar, and white pepper are the key flavour of this soup. I use Chinese Black vinegar called Chinkiang vinegar in this recipe, but if you can't get it in hand easily, white vinegar or rice wine vinegar is the perfect substitute.

Corn starch slurry: To achieve the glossy thick texture of soup, you will need corn starch slurry. Combine corn starch or potato starch and water in a small bowl, to add after the vegetables.

Chicken Stock: You can simply use store-bought low sodium chicken stock, or vegetarian stock to save time on your busy days. Or you can add homemade chicken stock if you already have one at home. Instead of chicken stock/broth, you can simply add water with chicken stock cubes or bullion powder.

How to make Chinese hot and sour soup?

• First, gather the seasoning ingredients and prepare the chicken, and vegetables. To make the corn starch slurry, mix the corn starch and water in a small bowl. Whisk the egg in a bowl and set it aside.
• In a large pot, add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Add garlic, ginger, and chicken slices.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes and follow with the mushroom, tofu, and bamboo shoots. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add the needle mushroom and shredded carrots.
• Next, season the soup with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, white pepper, black pepper, sugar, and salt to taste.
• To thicken the soup, add cornstarch slurry and drizzle sesame oil for a flavour. When the soup starts to get thicken, pour the egg slowly and stir gently in one direction.
• Make a taste test and adjust the salt and white pepper according to your taste.
• Turn off the heat and sprinkle the chopped spring onions. Transfer to a serving bowl, and serve immediately while hot. Garnish with extra spring onions. Enjoy!

FAQ

Top Tips

• It's very important to pour the egg slowly and stir gently in one direction in a circular motion when pouring to achieve the silky egg ribbons.
• If you use any dried vegetables like dried shiitake mushroom, wood ear mushroom, or dried lily buds, you can keep the rest of the packet for later use. Store them in an airtight container or bags to preserve the flavour.
• This soup tastes best when freshly cooked. The soup texture might change if you left it longer. If the soup gets thickens add some water and if the soup gets watery, add a splash of cornstarch slurry, then simmer to your desire consistency.

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