Hot and Sour Chinese Soup (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Soup Base

01 - 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, with 1/4 cup set aside
02 - 8 ounces fresh shiitake or baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
03 - 1 can (8 ounces) bamboo shoots, drained

→ Seasonings

04 - 1/4 cup rice vinegar, plus extra for adjusting taste
05 - 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
06 - 2 teaspoons ground ginger
07 - 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
08 - Kosher salt to taste
09 - White pepper (or black pepper) to taste
10 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

→ Thickener & Proteins

11 - 1/4 cup cornstarch
12 - 2 large eggs, whisked until smooth
13 - 8 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

→ Garnish

14 - 4 green onions, thinly sliced

# Instructions:

01 - Reserve 1/4 cup of the broth in a small bowl for later use. This will be mixed with cornstarch to create a thickening slurry.
02 - In a large stock pot, combine the remaining 7 3/4 cups broth, sliced mushrooms, bamboo shoots, rice vinegar, soy sauce, ground ginger, and chili garlic sauce. Bring everything to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.
03 - While the soup heats up, whisk the reserved 1/4 cup broth with cornstarch until completely smooth. Once your soup is simmering, stir in this cornstarch mixture and continue stirring for about a minute until the soup thickens nicely.
04 - Keep the soup moving in a gentle circular motion while slowly drizzling in the whisked eggs to create delicate ribbons. Add the tofu cubes, half of your sliced green onions, and the sesame oil. Season to taste with salt and a small pinch of white pepper (it's quite strong!) or black pepper if preferred.
05 - Taste and adjust the flavors - add more vinegar if you want it more sour, or extra chili garlic sauce for more heat. Serve hot, topped with the remaining green onions.

# Notes:

01 - For a non-vegetarian version, replace the tofu with 1/2 pound of cooked ground pork or thinly-sliced pork chops
02 - White pepper has a stronger and slightly different flavor than black pepper - start with a small amount and adjust to taste

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