Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and Sour Soup is a regular on most Chinese Restaurant menus. It tastes slightly different at each restaurant, some making it hotter than others. Now you get the chance to make it the way you like it!
For a vegetarian version, you can use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and add more tofu to replace the pork.
Hot-and-Sour Soup
INGREDIENTS:
- 10 dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1 ounce)
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans low-salt chicken broth
- 1 (4-ounce) boned center-cut loin pork chop, cut into thin strips
- 4 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/4 cup minced green onion tops (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
DIRECTIONS:
- Combine the mushrooms and boiling water in a bowl; cover and let stand 15 minutes.
- Drain in a colander over a bowl.
- Discard stems; rinse and cut caps into thin strips.
- Combine the mushrooms, pork, and tofu and broth in the slow cooker pot or crockpot.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
- Place pot on the stove over medium heat.
- Combine cornstarch, vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and peppers in a small bowl.
- Add cornstarch mixture to pot.
- Add egg, stirring as you add it to the pot.
- Stir in onions and oil.
- Enjoy your Hot and Sour Soup!