Hot and Sour Soup


8 fresh medium mushrooms or 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
4 scallions
2 10 ½ oz. cans condensed chicken broth + 2 cans water (or 2 vegetable bullion cubes + 5 cups water)
1 8 oz. can bamboo shoots, drained
1 14 oz. package tofu, drained
¼ c. white vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. cornstarch or ¼ c. flour
¼ c. cold water
2 eggs

If you’re using fresh mushrooms, wash them and cut away and discard the bottom ¼ inch of the stems.  Slice the mushrooms thin and set aside.  If you’re using dried shiitake mushrooms, put them in a cup or small bowl and cover with water.  Let them soak for 20 minutes, or until they are soft enough to cut.  Then slice them as thin as possible and set aside.  Discard the tough stems and soaking liquid.

Wash the scallions.  Cut off the root tips and top 2 inches of the green ends and discard them.  Cut the remaining white and green parts into 1/4 –inch pieces and set aside. 

May contain traces of bunneh?


Begin heating the chicken broth (or vegetable cubes) and water in a large pot over high heat.  When it comes to a boil, add the mushrooms and bamboo shoots.  Turn down the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes. 

While the soup is cooking, cut the tofu into ½-inch cubes. 

Man, Jack Black is EVERYWHERE these days.

Unfortunately, it must be euthanized.

Thank you for participating in this Aperture Science computer-aided enrichment activity.


Add the tofu, vinegar and soy sauce to the soup; stir and cook for another 5 minutes.



Mix the cornstarch or flour with the cold water in a small bowl until it becomes a thick paste.  Add it to the soup and stir until the mixture boils and thickens slightly.

Beat the eggs in a bowl.  Pour the beaten eggs slowly through the tines of a fork into the soup.  The tines help separate the eggs so that they can cook in thin strands rather than in large clumps.    

Unless you'd really LIKE a big egg blob in your soup. In which case go the hell nuts.

Add the scallions and serve.

You got served.

My Rating: 4/5 "One of my favorite restaurant soups comes home - with real vegetables, and everything!"

Comments