When I was a kid hot and sour soup was the cure for many an ailment, common cold, allergies, you name it. Remember I was raised by a hippie Mom so I didn't get chicken noodle soup or 7-up and saltines like the rest of the world, I got hot and sour soup. The idea being that it was so spicy it would kick the ailments ass and take names. Sure as a kid my eyes might be tearing up, my nose might be running and I might be coughing from the heat, but my sinuses were clear...logic, pure logic I tell you. And so after countless years of hot and sour soup I learned to love it.



However, unfortunately like many a childhood memory it is hard to replicate in an adult life, so I am on the constant quest for the perfect hot and sour soup...which is what led me to trying to make it myself. Let me say that this is a good soup with good flavor and it is definitely a comfort food, but my quest will continue as this is not the soup of my dreams. It just wasn't spicy enough, pure and simple. It had the texture, it had the flavor, it had the tofu chunks that I remember and it had the bamboo shoots that I love (don't ask me why I love bamboo shoots they are one of the oddest foods ever, but I do). But my eyes did not water, my nose did not run and I wasn't gagging on the pepper.


So to begin with you want to remove the excess water from the tofu. Place the tofu between layers of paper towels and weigh it down with a heavy cast iron pan. Let it sit for 30 minutes. This technique helps to dry out the tofu. I am not quite sure why this particular recipe wants to dry out the tofu since it is going into a soup, which is liquid, but I followed this direction and it tasted fine. Dice the tofu into cubes.

I decided to use fresh shiitake mushrooms instead of dried so I skipped the next step in the recipe. I just combined the chicken broth and water and brought it to a boil with the mushrooms in it. This helped to leach some of the mushroom flavor into the broth.


Next I added the vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, pepper and garlic to the broth mixture and I simmered it for 10 minutes.

Combine the water and cornstarch in a bowl and combine until it is a liquidy paste consistency. Add the cornstarch mixture, bamboo shoots and tofu to the broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute and remove from the heat.

This next technique I actually really liked and I will use it again. Beat an egg and drizzle it into the hot broth mixture. Do not stir. Place pan over low heat and cook for 1 minute. Stir to combine. This will cook the egg and give it the same consistency that you see in egg drop soup. Love it!!

Finally add the green onions, either to the entire batch of soup or as a garnish on top of the soup. And it is done!!


Here is the recipe:


Ingredients

1 (14-ounce) package firm water-packed tofu, drained
1 3/4 cups water, divided
1 (1/2-ounce) package dried sliced shiitake mushroom caps
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons less-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained and cut into julienne strips
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup thinly diagonally sliced green onion tops
Preparation

1. Place tofu on several layers of paper towels. Cover tofu with several more layers of paper towels; top with a cast-iron skillet or other heavy pan. Let stand 30 minutes. Discard paper towels. Cut tofu into 1-inch cubes.
2. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Stir in mushrooms; let stand 30 minutes. Stir in broth and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Stir cornstarch mixture, tofu, and bamboo shoots into broth mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally; remove from heat. Slowly drizzle egg into broth mixture (do not stir). Place pan over low heat; cook 1 minute. Stir soup gently to combine. Sprinkle with green onions.

Hope you all have an incredible week! Cheers!!