A Vegetarian riff on Classic Chinese Hot and Sour Soup that tastes like you ordered take-out! Make sure to make a double batch and freeze some for later!
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Today seems like a good day for soup. Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup that is.
Now, I am going to spend the next five minutes professing my undying love for Hot & Sour Soup. This is serious comfort food folks; at least for me.
If you have been following my blog for a while, you may remember me waxing poetic about a certain Healthy Chinese Restaurant in Philadelphia’s Chinatown that I dearly miss and crave all the time.
Well, Charles Plaza makes the most unbelievable Vegetarian Hot & Sour Soup – EVER. That is a difficult task, my friends. Most Hot & Sour soup is pork-based, has MSG or some other questionable ingredient and isn’t made with the highest quality stuff. I have yet to find a delicious Hot & Sour Soup (outside of Charles that is) that is made with non-GMO tofu, no MSG, no Pork, is clean and full of flavor. Trust me, I have been looking. Oh, and by the way, why doesn’t Seattle have ANY good Chinese Food? What is up with that?
I got my hands on this cookbook and right there on page 55 is a recipe for Hot and Sour Soup. I have tried about eight recipes in the last year and none of them have been up to my standards, but this one – the photo is what got me. As soon as I saw the color and texture of Bee’s Hot & Sour Soup, I knew I had to make a Vegetarian version of it. Immediately.
The irony is that I based my 1 Point Chicken Wontons on one of Bee’s recipes so I should have known to look, but I didn’t until it fell into my lap. I guess it’s like that old saying; the teacher comes when the student is ready. 😉
There are a couple of specialty ingredients needed to make this soup, but once you get to your local Asian supermarket or order them online, the whole thing comes together in no time – maybe 15 minutes tops. This Vegetarian version is pretty freaking close to Charles and I can’t get enough of it!
NOTES:
- Dried Wood Ear Mushrooms are usually found at any Asian grocery store but most of the packages I found were treated with Sulfites. Not cool. I did a little research and found this company. After talking to a customer service rep and confirming that their mushrooms were sourced properly and not treated with anything I ordered a big bag for about $8. I will get many, many pots of soup from this bag and am really happy to have a great quality product on hand to make this soup over and over again!
- Mirin is Chinese Rice Wine (not Rice Vinegar!) There is only a teaspoon here and I am not sure it adds that much so we are not using it to marinate chicken or pork so you could probably sub Sherry Wine or one of the other substitutes listed in that article I linked to.
- When it comes to canned, sliced Bamboo Shoots, I usually stick with either Native Forest or Sun Luck. Neither has any sulfites or added preservatives and are easily found at the stores I shop at. Sun Luck is a bit less expensive and found at the regular grocery store here in addition to the natural food stores.
- Chinese Black Vinegar (also called Chinkiang) should be easy to find at any Asian grocery store. It was only a couple of dollars for a big bottle.
- A quick tip to save some time is to buy a bag of already shredded carrots. I prefer the crunch of the thin matchsticks but sometimes you just want to save time and you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do!
- Last note – I prefer my Hot & Sour soup on the thinner side but if you want a thicker soup, I suggest doubling the cornstarch and water ratio to 6 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/2 cup water.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup
- 1 large or 1/4 cup dried wood ear mushroom soaked in 1 cup boiling water and sliced
- 6 ounces organic NON-GMO soft tofu, cut into strips
- 1 teaspoon Mirin
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 4 cups Imagine "No-Chicken" broth
- 1 cup reserved mushroom soaking water
- 1 small carrot cut into thin matchsticks
- 4 ounces sliced bamboo shoots rinsed and cut into thin matchsticks
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 scallions greens only, cut into thin rounds
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon Chinese Black Vinegar Chinkiang
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch + 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon red chili oil or more to taste
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
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Start by covering the dried wood ear mushroom with one cup of boiling water. Set aside to soak while you complete the rest of the prep work.
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Slice tofu into thin strips and combine with Mirin and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch.
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Cut sliced bamboo shoots into thin matchsticks.
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Trim whites off scallions and cut greens into thin rounds.
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Combine soy sauce, black vinegar, rice vinegar, white pepper, salt, remaining cornstarch and water with red chili oil and toasted sesame oil.
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Beat eggs and cut carrots into thin matchsticks. Pull dried mushroom out of soaking liquid (reserving liquid for soup) and thinly slice. Yes, it looks strange. It's good and adds so much to the soup.
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Pour the broth and mushroom soaking liquid into a large saucepan or soup pot and bring to a boil.
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Add tofu, mushrooms, carrot and bamboo shoots and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
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Next, add in the seasonings (soy sauce, etc.). Stir to combine and turn off heat.
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Gently pour the beaten eggs into soup in a circle pattern. Immediately stir two to three times with a pair of chopsticks, cover and let sit for two minutes.
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Serve topped with chopped scallions and more Chili Oil to taste. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
Adapted From: Hot and Sour Soup from Easy Chinese Recipes by Bee Yinn Low
I just read this recipe and as an avid lover of hot n sour soup myself I’m excited to try it out! I did have to comment though after reading that Seattle doesn’t have any great Chinese food! I am from Seattle and have an absolute favorite restaurant to visit every time I’m back. Uptown china in Queen Anne. You’ve GOT to go there. Amazing food, can’t go wrong! I’ve said a number of times I could live on their hot and sour soup (although I’m sure it isn’t vegetarian), and their mandarin chicken wings and fried rice are literally the best I’ve EVER tasted. Try it out 🙂
Hi Eilia,
Thanks for the rec – I’ll have to check it out. Do you know if they use natural ingredients / MSG / food coloring / etc.?
Its nice to find someone with such a passion for hot and sour soup as myself. and having the philly connection is great too.
Ill be in philly around 4th of July, and ive already put charles plaza on my list of things to do. I even travel with a soup bowl / and spoon which i purchased in the philly china town. Since everytime im there, i always order a few quarts of H&S to take back to the hotel room. My wife thinks im crazy, but who cares. she loads up on starbucks, and i think thats crazy. Ive even gotten to the point where id offer money to anyone of these restuarants with the great H&S soup for the recipe, or to let me sit in while they are making it. My refrigerator / cupboard is filled with as many chinese condiments as you can imagine that ive acquired over the years, searching for the perfect recipe, and trying all different kinds of ingredients. Hopefully Ill get a chance to do some shopping this weekend, and give this recpie a try. Hopefully ill be one step closer .
Report back – I can’t wait to hear how you like it!!! 🙂
First time i tasted Vegetarian Hot and Sour soup was about 25 years ago. Ive been Hooked ever since. It’s now a requirement for me to even enter a Chinese restaurant, looking first to see if they have it on their menu. And also a requirement for me to return, I must love it. After 25 years, i can count on one hand the amount of restaurants that have great Veg H&S soup. 1 in New york, the other 3 in Philly (Charles plaza I havnt tried, but you’ve got me curious , and its on my list next time Im down there). Anyway, Since my first taste, Ive been on a quest to find a recipe that meets my satisfaction. All falling short. I have all the right physical ingredients, but its the broth that does me in. All this being said, I appreciate you showing a pic of the brands of ingredients you use. Different brands can have different tastes leading to different results. Its 1am, couldnt sleep, stumbled on this recipe. Havnt tried it yet, but on my list of things to do. Hopefully my quest ends here.
Larry,
You must, must, must head to Charles Plaza! The Hot & Sour Soup is clearly a MUST but also order the Steamed Chicken Dumplings, Chicken Soong (appetizer), Singapore Rice Noodles (add extra vegetables) and the Seafood in Taro Root Basket plus his homemade Hot Oil on the side. Amazing meal!
This looks so great. I bet it packs a mean flavour punch!
It does – it is so satisfying!
I love the ingredient list! Nothing beats a good bowl of steaming hot and sour soup!
So true Kiran! I have plans to make some again later this week – I can’t wait!
I love hot and sour soup and had been thinking of making it now that the weather is turning cooler – love this recipe!
H&Sour has always been one of my favorites and I am always so bummed I can’t get a good, clean version anywhere (except in Philly!).