Hot and Sour Soup

I had stopped making hot and sour soup, because it was too much work, even in my highly reduced effort version. So I came up with something even simpler.

Saute in a sauce pan: a package of mushrooms (any kind) in olive oil (or your preferred neutral oil) and, optionally, white vermouth. You could use just about any white wine, sherry, etc., it would probably be fine as long as it is not salty and good enough to drink.

When the mushrooms are cooked to your liking, add and heat through small package low sodium or no salt added chicken broth. Obviously, home made would be even better! These are the juice box sized packages. This is soup for one, in a hurry.

You can at this point add grated fresh ginger, I usually use a couple teaspoons or tablespoon of it. If you use dried, use quite a bit less, but you can add that now instead if you like.

Season to taste with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar (unseasoned if at all possible), chipotle tabasco sauce, white pepper or black pepper. We are talking generous dashes of each, not teaspoons, even, much less more. Go slow!

The Old Recipe

The minimum required to satisfy my desire for hot and sour soup is very minimal, and formed the original basis for my I Am Sick Soup and inspired parts of my I Am Sick Drink. Water, some kind of fungus, ground ginger, vinegar, soy sauce and tabasco sauce are the basis. Everything else is extra.

Soak in hot water:

Tree Fungus
Dried Shitake Mushrooms if you are using them.

Slice Small or Dice:

Firm Tofu
Pork (optional)

Slice:

Shitake Mushrooms

Heat:

1 Cup Chicken Stock
2 Cups Water

Toss the rest of the ingredients in, and simmer until everything is cooked through. You can break an Egg in and whirl it around gently, if you like.

Season to Taste:

1/4 Tsp White Pepper
1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tsp Soy Sauce
2 Tsp Tabasco Sauce

Consider the above proportions only very approximate. I only very rarely include the pork. You don't have to have the chicken stock; the flavoring is strong enough to provide sufficient interest.

Created January 28, 2002
Updated December 18, 2018