Hot and sour soup
Author: Don
Ingredients
- 4+ C broth
- 1 chicken breast
- ¼ C soya sauce
- A few drops of Sesame oil
- 1 T finely chopped ginger root
- 2 T cooking oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms
- 1 small can each of bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn
- ¼ C rice vinegar
- ½ t crushed chilies
- 2 T cornstarch
- 5 green onions
- 1 package firm tofu
- 1 egg, beaten
Instructions
- Keeping about ½ C of broth aside, bring the rest slowly to a boil.
- Cut the chicken breast into small pieces, and add it to the ginger, soya sauce and sesame oil.
- Meanwhile, sauté the sliced mushrooms in the garlic and oil until they are very well done. All moisture has been cooked off, they have darkened in colour, and are starting to get brown and crispy on the edges. Add them to the broth.
- Add the rice vinegar, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn and crushed chilies to the broth.
- Drain the marinade from the chicken into the broth.
- Sauté the chicken pieces, and add to the broth. By now, the broth should be simmering.
- Dissolve the cornstarch in the cold broth that you had set aside. Stir into the broth.
- Cube the tofu and add it to the broth.
- Chop the green onions and add to the broth.
- Test the broth for heat. Wait a few minutes and test it again. Sometimes it sneaks up on you! Add more crushed chilies if desired.
- Remove from heat and stir in the beaten egg.
- Serve.
- Options: Use shitake or other kinds of mushrooms. You can use white pepper instead of crushed chilies, but you will need about twice the amount to get the same heat.