I am a big fan of a good bowl of hot and sour, but take out versions can often be gloopy and completely unappealing. This is my better than takeout hot and sour soup: a clear, punchy broth loaded with shiitake mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and silky ribbons of egg, with enough ginger, chili and vinegar to wake up every one of your taste buds.

I usually crave a bowl when I’m feeling under the weather because it’s chock full of ingredients and flavours that make me feel better almost immediately. Some ingredients in the traditional version (wood ears and dried lily flowers) are not always available in every grocery store, so I’ve swapped those for others that are easy to find but equally delicious. No special trip required, and dinner is on the table in about 40 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Hot and Sour Soup

• No gloop, ever. Just one tablespoon of cornstarch gives the broth a little body without turning it into the gluey stuff that arrives in a plastic tub.
• Grocery store friendly. Shiitakes, bamboo shoots, tofu and sambal oelek are all easy to find, so you can skip the specialty shop.
• Hot and sour, your way. Chili flakes, sambal oelek and rice wine vinegar do the heavy lifting, and you can dial each one up or down to suit your crowd.
• Cozy in a bowl. It is the soup I reach for when I have a cold, a rough week, or just a strong craving for takeout I do not have to wait for.
• Weeknight fast. Most of the time is hands-off simmering, and the whole pot comes together in about 40 minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms (stems removed and discarded)
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
• 4 green onions sliced thinly, whites and greens separated
• 3/4 cup bamboo shoots
• 1 cup, small diced, firm tofu
• 8 cups chicken stock (if using boxed, use reduced sodium)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Serves 4

Tips for the Best Hot and Sour Soup

• Ditch the shiitake stems. They are tough and woody no matter how long you simmer them. Toss them, or save them in the freezer for your next batch of stock.
• Go reduced sodium on the stock. Soy sauce brings plenty of salt, so starting with a reduced sodium boxed stock keeps the soup from tipping over into salty territory.
• Mix the slurry with cold water. Cornstarch clumps in hot liquid. Stir it into the cold water until completely smooth before it goes anywhere near the pot.
• Pour the eggs slowly. A thin, steady stream while you stir is the secret to those delicate egg ribbons. Dump them in all at once and you get scrambled eggs (still tasty, just less pretty).
• Taste before you serve. Every brand of vinegar and sambal is a little different. Give the broth a taste at the end and add a splash more vinegar for sour or a dab more sambal for heat.

How to Make Hot and Sour Soup

1. Heat the canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, ginger, chili flakes, the white portion of the green onions and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms just begin to soften.
2. Add the chicken stock, bamboo shoots and diced tofu and bring the soup up to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10min. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar and sambal oelek.
3. Mix the cornstarch together with 3 tbsp cold water and stir it into the soup. Simmer for another 2min.
4. Pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream into the soup while stirring constantly. Add the sesame oil.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish generously with green onions.

Storage: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat rather than boiling hard, which helps keep the egg ribbons tender. I don’t recommend freezing this one, since the tofu and egg can turn spongy once thawed.

More Takeout-Style Soups and Dinners to Make at Home

If this bowl has you swearing off delivery, keep going with these:

• Wontons in a Chili-Garlic Broth: another better than takeout favourite with a spicy, garlicky broth
• Easy Wonton and Vegetable Soup: a quick, veggie-packed soup built on store-bought wontons
• Mushroom and Barley Soup with Miso: for when you want more of that deep, savoury mushroom flavour
• Hot and Sour Turkey and Green Bean Stir-Fry: the same tangy, spicy flavours in a speedy stir-fry
• Leek Fried Rice: the perfect side to round out your homemade takeout night

External Resources

• FoodSafety.gov FoodKeeper App: how long leftover soups and other foods stay safe in the fridge and freezer
• Canada’s Food Guide: Health Canada’s guide to building balanced meals, including protein foods like tofu and eggs

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes hot and sour soup hot and sour? The heat comes from spice (here, dried chili flakes and sambal oelek) and the sour comes from vinegar. In this recipe it is rice wine vinegar, which is bright but mellow enough that it does not take over.

Can I make it vegetarian? Yes. Swap the chicken stock for a good vegetable or mushroom stock. Everything else in the pot is already meat free.

What can I use instead of bamboo shoots? Canned water chestnuts are a great swap and bring a similar crunch. Thinly sliced celery also works if that is what you have.

What is sambal oelek? It is a chunky Indonesian chili paste made mostly from fresh chilies, vinegar and salt. You will find it in the international aisle of most grocery stores, and it keeps in the fridge for ages.

How do you get egg ribbons in soup? Keep the soup at a gentle simmer, stir it in one direction, and pour the beaten eggs in slowly in a thin stream. The moving broth pulls the egg into long, silky strands.

Can I freeze this soup? I’d skip it. The tofu and egg ribbons get spongy after freezing. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, though.

How do I make it less spicy? Start with half the chili flakes and half the sambal oelek, then taste at the end and add more if you want it. It is much easier to add heat than take it away.

Hot and Sour Soup

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A better than takeout hot and sour soup with shiitake mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and silky egg ribbons in a punchy, tangy broth.

• Author: Andrea Buckett
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms (stems removed and discarded)
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
• 4 green onions sliced thinly, whites and greens separated
• 3/4 cup bamboo shoots
• 1 cup, small diced, firm tofu
• 8 cups chicken stock (if using boxed, use reduced sodium)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sambal oelek
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Instructions

1. Heat the canola oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, ginger, chili flakes, the white portion of the green onions and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms just begin to soften.
2. Add the chicken stock, bamboo shoots and diced tofu and bring the soup up to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10min. Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar and sambal oelek.
3. Mix the cornstarch together with 3 tbsp cold water and stir it into the soup. Simmer for another 2min.
4. Pour the beaten eggs in a thin stream into the soup while stirring constantly. Add the sesame oil.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish generously with green onions.

Notes

• Stock. If using boxed chicken stock, choose reduced sodium, since the soy sauce adds plenty of salt.
• Vegetarian option. Swap the chicken stock for vegetable or mushroom stock.
• Storage. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat gently. Freezing is not recommended, as the tofu and egg can turn spongy.
• Heat level. Taste at the end and adjust with more vinegar or sambal oelek to suit.