Hot and Sour Soup

Chinese soups can be light and mild like Egg Drop soup or a hearty, spicy mixture of meat and vegetables like Hot and Sour soup.

Chinese Hot and Sour soup has more body and flavor than egg drop and other light oriental soups. It can also be very spicy (hot). Every Chinese-American restaurant has their own version of Hot and Sour and level of heat. I’ve been served Hot and Sour soup that was so hot it was almost uneatable. Even a “mild” hot and sour soup can be too hot for some people.

The heat in Hot and Sour soup comes from Chinese chili sauce. The sour from rice vinegar.

You can increase or decrease both the level of heat and sour to your taste.

While this soup has a long list of ingredients, a one cup serving (8 oz, 240 ml, 235 g) has about 80 calories and 6 grams of protein. Most of the protein comes from the bean curd (tofu), broth, egg, and peas.

Substitution

• If you are allergic to or do not like tofu (bean curd), omit it or add an additional 4 ounce of mushrooms. Omitting the tofu cuts about 30 calories and 4 grams of protein per serving.
• For vegetarian soup use vegetable broth.
• Beef broth can be substituted for all or part of the chicken broth.
• Water or broth can be used instead of white wine.

Nutrition Information

Sodium levels are based on using low sodium broth. Low sodium broths have 140 mg or less of sodium per cup (240 ml).

Ingredients

• 8 oz. (225 g) fresh mushrooms
• 1 small (130 g) red bell pepper
• 1 bunch green onions, cleaned and finely sliced
• 1 can (225 g) sliced water chestnuts
• 1 cup (130 g) green peas
• 8 oz. (225 g) bean curd (tofu)
• 8 cups. (2 liters) low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) Chinese chili sauce (sambel olek or equivalent)
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) cornstarch
• 5 tablespoons (75 ml) cold water
• 1/4 cup (110 ml) rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sesame oil
• 1 large egg (optional)

Method of Preparation