The DH and I went to our favorite Chinese restaurant last night and
they must have changed cooks or something, b/c the hot and sour soup
was just *wrong*. It had no zip to it. Very bland. The DH, who is
about as observant as a lawn chair, thought it was good, but it was
*not* hot and *sour*, so I am setting out to educate the lad. I am
going to try the below recipe, although it's going to be a while, as
I've had to order the dried mushrooms online. Can't find an Asian
market hereabouts. Hope this one is worth the effort:

Hot and Sour Soup

categories: soup and stews

5 oz boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips (2/3 cup)
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce*
4 small Chinese dried black mushrooms*
12 small dried tree ear mushrooms*
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 dried lily buds* (sometimes called golden needles)
1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots*, cut lengthwise into
1/8-inch-wide strips (from an 8-oz can)
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce*
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 to 4 oz firm tofu (about a quarter of a block), rinsed and drained,
then cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil*
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens
2 tablespoons fresh whole cilantro leaves

Toss pork with dark soy sauce in a bowl until pork is well coated.

Soak black and tree ear mushrooms in 3 cups boiling-hot water in
another bowl (water should cover mushrooms), turning over black
mushrooms occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes. (Tree ears
will expand significantly.) Cut out and discard stems from black
mushrooms, then squeeze excess liquid from caps into bowl and thinly
slice caps. Remove tree ears from bowl, reserving liquid, and trim off
any hard nubs. If large, cut tree ears into bite-size pieces. Stir
together 1/4 cup mushroom-soaking liquid (discard remainder) with
cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, soak lily buds in about 1 cup warm water until softened,
about 20 minutes, then drain. Trim off tough tips of lily buds. Cut
lily buds in half crosswise, then tear each half lengthwise into 2 or
3 shreds.

Cover bamboo shoots with cold water by 2 inches in a small saucepan,
then bring just to a boil (to remove bitterness) and drain in a sieve.

Stir together vinegars, light soy sauce, sugar, and salt in another
small bowl.

Heat a wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to
2 seconds of contact. Pour peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl
oil, tilting wok to coat sides. Add pork and stir-fry until meat just
changes color, about 1 minute, then add black mushrooms, tree ears,
lily buds, and bamboo shoots and stir-fry 1 minute.

Add broth and bring to a boil, then add tofu. Return to a boil and add
vinegar mixture. Stir cornstarch mixture, then add to broth and return
to a boil, stirring. (Liquid will thicken.) Reduce heat to moderate
and simmer 1 minute.

Beat eggs with a fork and add a few drops of sesame oil. Add eggs to
soup in a thin stream, stirring slowly in one direction with a spoon.
Stir in white pepper, then drizzle in remaining sesame oil and divide
among 6 to 8 bowls. Sprinkle with scallions and cilantro before
serving.

*Available at Asian foods markets, Uwajimaya (800-889-1928), and Kam
Man Food Products Inc. (212-571-0330).

Makes 6 to 8 first-course servings.

Gourmet
January 2005

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
AAC(F)BV66.0748.CA

"Most vigitaryans I iver see looked enough like their food to be
classed as cannybals."

Finley Peter Dunne (1900)

To reply, replace "spaminator" with "cox"

On Mon, 07 Aug 2006 19:34:14 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd
> wrote:

> I am
>going to try the below recipe, although it's going to be a while, as
>I've had to order the dried mushrooms online. Can't find an Asian
>market hereabouts. Hope this one is worth the effort:
>
>Hot and Sour Soup

Terry, there are 2 Ranch99 markets in Irvine..have you been them?

Here is the webpage, for the store locator...

http://www.99ranch.com/StoreLocator.asp

Christine

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> The DH and I went to our favorite Chinese restaurant last night and
> they must have changed cooks or something, b/c the hot and sour soup
> was just *wrong*. It had no zip to it. Very bland. The DH, who is
> about as observant as a lawn chair, thought it was good, but it was
> *not* hot and *sour*, so I am setting out to educate the lad. I am
> going to try the below recipe, although it's going to be a while, as
> I've had to order the dried mushrooms online. Can't find an Asian
> market hereabouts. Hope this one is worth the effort:
>



You can make Hot & Sour Soup in 20-minutes.

Easy Hot & Sour Soup

* 4 cups of chicken stock
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken or pork
* 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced or diced
* 1/2 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
* 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
* 1/4 cup white vinegar
* 1/4 cup canned bamboo shoots, julienned
* 3 oz block of firm tofu, cut into 1/4 inch dice
* 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water
* 1 egg, beaten
* 2 green onion stalks, diced (including tops)
* 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

-Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a 2-quart saucepan.
-Add soy sauce, shredded meat, mushrooms and garlic chili sauce.
-Simmer for five minutes.
-Add white pepper, white vinegar, bamboo shoots, tofu.
-Simmer for five minutes.
-Combine two tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold
water in a cup. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to
soup and stir well.
-Simmer for five minutes until soup is thickened.
-Beat egg in a cup until yolk and white are combined. Pour beaten egg
slowly, in a fine stream into soup. Stir soup several times.
-Wait 30 seconds.
-Add green onions and sesame oil to soup. Stir well. Remove from heat.

If you want to add Asian type mushrooms or other ingredients, go for
it.


Rusty

Squeaks wrote:

> The DH and I went to our favorite Chinese restaurant last night and
> they must have changed cooks or something, b/c the hot and sour soup
> was just *wrong*. It had no zip to it. Very bland.

Several years ago I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered hot & sour
soup. When it came, it was *wrong*. Rather than bamboo shoots, they'd used
shredded apples. When I asked the waitress about it, she expressed great
surprise: "You mean you don't LIKE it?"

OF COURSE I DON'T LIKE IT!!!!


Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
...
> Squeaks wrote:
>
> > The DH and I went to our favorite Chinese restaurant last night and
> > they must have changed cooks or something, b/c the hot and sour soup
> > was just *wrong*. It had no zip to it. Very bland.
>
> Several years ago I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered hot & sour
> soup. When it came, it was *wrong*. Rather than bamboo shoots, they'd used
> shredded apples. When I asked the waitress about it, she expressed great
> surprise: "You mean you don't LIKE it?"
>
> OF COURSE I DON'T LIKE IT!!!!
>
>
> Bob
>
>

Apples? That's just wrong. That's weird.

kili

Michael "Dog3" Lonergan wrote:

> Apples? Bleh. I wouldn't like it either. Very strange putting apples in
> hot and sour soup. Never heard of it and never seen it.

But wonderful in a Mulligatawny soup!
Goomba

Goomba wrote about apples in hot & sour soup:

> But wonderful in a Mulligatawny soup!

I'm not crazy about most mulligatawny for exactly that reason; I don't like
apples in my soup. However, America's Test Kitchen recently screened their
version, which doesn't have any apples. It has a BANANA instead, and it's
puréed. It's not like any mulligatawny I've ever had, and I know it sounds
weird, but it's not bad. Here's the recipe from their web site:

Mulligatawny Soup

For freshness, puree some of the garlic and ginger with water in a blender,
then leave this mixture in the blender while making the soup. The finished
soup is pureed in the same blender, where it will pick up a hit of spicy raw
garlic and ginger flavor.

Serves 6 to 8 4 medium cloves garlic , 2 peeled and 2 finely minced
1 piece ginger (about 1 1/2 inches), peeled and grated (about 1 1/2
tablespoons)
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium onions , chopped medium
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 medium carrots , peeled and chopped coarse
1 medium rib celery , chopped coarse
1 medium banana (about 5 ounces), very ripe, peeled, or 1 small boiling
potato (about 5 ounces), peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
Table salt and ground black pepper
plain yogurt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1. Place the 2 peeled whole garlic cloves, 2 teaspoons of the grated ginger,
and the water in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 25 seconds; leave the
mixture in the blender jar and set aside. (You will be pureeing the soup
right in the blender with the garlic and ginger.)

2. Heat the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat until
foaming. Add the onions and tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently,
until the onions are softened and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir
in the coconut and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the minced
garlic, remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons ginger, curry powder, cumin, cayenne, and
flour; stir until evenly combined, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly and
vigorously, gradually add the chicken broth.

3. Add the carrots, celery, and whole banana to the pot. Increase the heat
to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and
simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Puree the soup in batches in the blender with the garlic and ginger until
very smooth. Wash and dry the pot. Return the pureed soup to the clean pot
and season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm the soup over medium heat
until hot, about 1 minute. (The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight
container for up to 3 days. Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil.)
Ladle the soup into individual bowls, spoon a dollop of the yogurt over each
bowl, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.


Bob

Rusty wrote:
> Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> > The DH and I went to our favorite Chinese restaurant last night and
> > they must have changed cooks or something, b/c the hot and sour soup
> > was just *wrong*.
>
>
> You can make Hot & Sour Soup in 20-minutes.

Absolutely... and 20 minutes is on the generous side... and your recipe
is closer to what's actually served in NYC Chinese restaurants,
naturally they each have their own slightly different version. I make
my own at home often (never 'zactly the same twice)... I like to add
bits of ground pork and I like a very thick soup... similar to
Cantonese lobster sauce. There's a Chinese restaurant in Smithtown, LI
that along with the traditional style does a wickedly hot version that
contains creamed corn and shrimp... excellent... just don't make the
mistake of biting into those tiny red pepper pods.


> Easy Hot & Sour Soup
<snip>

Sheldon

On 2006-08-08, Rusty > wrote:

> You can make Hot & Sour Soup in 20-minutes.
>
> Easy Hot & Sour Soup

[snipped saved recipe]

Now that's my kinda soup. I'll hafta give it a try. Thank you.

nb

Rusty > wrote in message
oups.com...
[snip]
> You can make Hot & Sour Soup in 20-minutes.
>
> Easy Hot & Sour Soup
[snip recipe: Message-ID:
.com>]

Thanks! I know what we're having tonight!

The Ranger

: Hot and Sour Soup

: categories: soup and stews

: 5 oz boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips (2/3 cup)
: 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce*
: 4 small Chinese dried black mushrooms*
: 12 small dried tree ear mushrooms*
: 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
: 12 dried lily buds* (sometimes called golden needles)
: 1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots*, cut lengthwise into
: 1/8-inch-wide strips (from an 8-oz can)
: 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
: 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
: 1 tablespoon light soy sauce*
: 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
: 1 teaspoon kosher salt
: 2 tablespoons peanut oil
: 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
: 3 to 4 oz firm tofu (about a quarter of a block), rinsed and drained,
: then cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
: 2 large eggs
: 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil*
: 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
: 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens
: 2 tablespoons fresh whole cilantro leaves


This is "sour" soup, but not "hot". The chile oil or chile paste has
been omitted. You can substitute crushed red pepper if you can't get
chile oil.