Winter is fading in New England, but the days still can be cold, so my season of soup making is not done yet. However, as soup season has been in place for several months, I was ready to try something new last week.
My husband suggested making a soup with an Asian flair, and thus, Hot & Sour Soup was created. Although not quite something the kids wanted, it was a perfect soup for the two of us.
With different kid-dinners planned, we were free to add exotic ingredients that would be considered repulsive by our younger diners. While tofu, chicken, and mushrooms are acceptable, I wasn’t sure what sort of reception bamboo shoots or red curry paste would receive. For us, they were excellent additions.
This soup definitely had a little bit of a kick to it, though admittedly I don’t eat foods that are crazily spicy. A batch of homemade spring roll chips made a delicious contrast to the soup, offering a bit of crunch and no heat.
- 1 Tb. canola oil
- 1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms
- 1 small piece ginger (about 1 inch), peeled and grated
- 1 Tb. red curry paste
- 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, chopped
- 1 cooked chicken breast, diced
- 1/4 soy sauce, low sodium preferably
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups + 2 Tb. water
- 7 oz. firm tofu, cubed
- 1-1/2 Tb. cornstarch
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3-4 scallions, chopped
- Heat oil in a medium soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, ginger, curry paste, bamboo, and chicken, stirring for 1 minute.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and sugar, and stir well. Add chicken broth and 2 cups water, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Once at a full boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add tofu, and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and 2 Tb. water.
- Add mixture to soup, and increase heat to medium. Stir occasionally until soup thickens.
- Stir soup to create a “current”, and add beaten egg slowly. (The egg should cook almost immediately.)
- Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with chopped scallions.
The only thing missing are the golden needles! Nothing like homemade hot and sour soup with wonton crakcers!