This hot and sour soup recipe delivers “hot” with white pepper and chili oil. The “sour” comes from rice vinegar. Plus, you get tasty tofu, thin strips of chicken, and thin-sliced mushrooms in every bowl. Enjoy the flavors you love with easy-to-find ingredients!
Tofu is a versatile food made from soybeans. Packaged in water, these sponge-like blocks of soybean protein hold lots of flavor-blocking water. Because of this, your first job in creating delicious tofu is to get rid of the water.
Here is one way to drain your tofu:
Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 55 minutes Serves: 4
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, well drained and cut into 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons tamari 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 chicken breast, cut into 1/4-inch strips 4 cups chicken stock 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated 6 ounces fresh baby bella mushrooms, wiped clean with moist paper towel, stemmed and cut into 1/4-inch slices 1 can bamboo shoots (8 oz.) drained and cut into long, thin strips 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper 1 teaspoon chili oil 1/4 cup rice vinegar 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water 2 large eggs, whisked Sliced scallion greens for garnish Chili oil and rice vinegar to serve on the side | Yum |
1. Drain tofu: Drain tofu in a colander. Cover with dry paper towel and something heavy on top; let set for 30 minutes. Prep chicken and slice the vegetables while waiting.
2. Mix marinade - add chicken: In a medium bowl, mix together the tamari, toasted sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; add thin strips of chicken to mixture. Allow to marinate while you're completing the next step.
3. Add and heat: To a Dutch oven, add chicken stock and ginger; bring to boil over medium-high heat.
4. Add: Add sliced mushrooms, bamboo strips, and thin strips of marinated chicken to the boiling stock mixture. Stir to combine.
5. Simmer: Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 10 minutes.
6. Add and simmer: Add cubes of tofu, white pepper, chili oil, and rice vinegar. Bring to boil again then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
7. Dissolve cornstarch: Dissolve 3 tablespoons cornstarch in 3 tablespoons water.
8. Stir in: Add dissolved cornstarch, continue stirring, and cook until soup has thickened - about 2-3 minutes.
9. Remove heat: Remove pan from heat.
10. Drizzle eggs: Slowly drizzle the whisked eggs over the hot soup. Don’t stir yet.
11. Low heat: Return pan to low heat and cook for 1 minute. Gently stir to combine.
12. Garnish: Serve immediately and garnish with sliced scallion greens.
13. Serve with chili oil and rice vinegar on side to season to taste. Enjoy!
Bibliography
Cynthia. "How to Drain Tofu." Down to Earth Organic and Natural | Love Life!. Accessed March 19, 2018. https://www.downtoearth.org/sites/default/files/Draining-Tofu.pdf.
"How to Press & Drain Tofu for Beginners." Urban Vegan. Last modified September 30, 2017. https://urbanvegan.net/tofu-pressing/.