There are two kinds of hot and sour soup in the world.
The first kind is the delicious, fragrant, seseame oil-y, manna from heaven, with bits of mushroom and tofu and lots of pepper, that I get served in Chinese restaurants.
The other kind is the nasty inedible slop that is produced whenever I try to make it myself. I’ve tried numerous recipes and it’s never been remotely nice.
Any suggestions on how to bridge this gap? Or should I just give up and resign myself to having to go to Chinatown and pay five bucks for a mixing-bowl-sized serving of soup, which isn’t really such a bad deal?
I made a large hot and sour from my favorite chinese place my lunch yesterday, and it only cost me $3.25. Got full about 2/3 of the way through. I’m willing to just plop down the few bucks for my fix. Sorry if your small is $5, that’s just robbery.
Could you give us some idea of the types of recipes you’ve tried? This is something I make pretty often and I think it comes out fairly authentic-tasting, unlike most Chinese recipes I try.
I just wing it now, but I think I started with a vegetarian version from the original Moosewood cookbook. The add-ins vary, but the basic seasonings are dried shitake mushrooms, and their soaking broth with as much extra water as needed, bamboo shoots, firm tofu, rice vinegar, sherry (optional), ground white pepper, sugar and sesame oil. I may or may not also add chicken and green onions. Then it’s thickened with cornstarch and beaten egg “rags.” Does this sound familar?
I also add some chili paste with garlic to my portion at the last minute, but my SO doesn’t like his that spicy.
If you’re in Chicago, like a lot of Dopers, go to Little Hunan on North Lincoln. The best hot and sour soup I’ve ever had, including New York and California.
Say hi to Martin and Li, the owners, who will become your friends and share their recipes with you.
I’m going to further confuse the issue. The hot and sour soup described here is nothing like the stuff I’m used which is Thai and MUST involve lemongrass. So there’s three kinds, at least. I can make an okay Thai version from Tom Yum paste and fresh lemongrass plus chicken, seafood and/or veggies, but have never even heard of the stuff described by the rest of you, although it sounds delicious.
It is indeed very cheap where I eat as well. The problem is I don’t live near Chinatown any more so I have to go out of my way for my fix. Although there is a place peddling divine Kung-Po Tofu nearby, their H&S soup is made with chicken stock and I won’t eat that.
I guess there are more than the two kinds of H&S soup I mention. The kind I like is very dark brown, and thick, and smells strongly like sesame oil. (I’ve had versions which are less brown and sesame oily, but still thick, hot and sour.)
The recipes I have used start with soup stock, and cornstarch and white vinegar as key ingredients. I guess I need to get the right kinds of fungus and tofu as well.
I’ve got to buy one of those Moosewood cookbooks …
Hrm. The one I’m familiar with is relatively thing, very dark brown, and smells strongly of vinegar and pepper. The recipe I’ve used for this is from, initially I think, the Frugal Gourmet, whom I loathe.
I forgot to mention soy sauce as one of the ingredients. That accounts for some of the “brownness,” too, along with the dried mushroom.
I’m betting that most restaurant versions use chicken broth, rather than vegetable broth. I’ve also seen them use strips of chinese roast pork, too (the kind with the red food coloring on it), which you can buy at some Chinese deli/bakeries, if you are inclined.
If you want a quick and dirty recipe without a lot of prep, do the following:
Soak some dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water
remove the mushrooms and slice them into ribbons (save the water).
Put the mushroom water in a pot and turn on medium heat (if more broth is needed, add chicken stock).
toss in mushrooms to simmer along with any other fill ins you want (meat, tofu, bean sprouts are typical).
Add soy sauce until broth turns brown.
Add vinegar to taste until you get the desired level of sourness.
Add white pepper until you get desired level of hotness (tabasco sauce can also be used. It’s not authentic, obviously, but it gives you the heat you want and it tases fine).
Mix up a little water and cornstarch and stir into soup to thicken.
Remove pot from heat. Stir in one beaten egg to finish.
Thanks for the recipe, DtC. Is it white vinegar you use?
I think one source of my problems has been the hotness, I always use the closest hot sauce I have on hand but if white pepper is the way to go I will do it.
I may have to intensify my explorations of the Chinese grocery stores downtown, they have so many little dried things that would probably make the soup come out well but I wouldn’t recognize them as such.
Diogenes, thanks for the recipe. This thread has gotten me hungry, of course. I’ve tried a couple of supermarket package mixes, with the poor results you’d expect. Like most of the posters, I’ve just gotten my fix from restaurants. The problem with that, though, is that really good hot & sour soup is hard to find. If your recipe gets me even close, it’ll be a nice way to cure my soup jones at home.
Diogenes: Cool - thanks for the recipie! However, the nearest strip-mall Chinese place makes the best Hot & Sour soup in the world and it’s only $1.50 - hell, you can buy a quart for only $3. Unfortunately, it seems like H&S soup is only of those things thats too much trouble and effort to make on your own if you can get the “good stuff” for only $1.50.
I find the addition of szechuan preserved vegetable to the soup to be essential. In Chicago, Sun Wah on Argyle is imho the best I’ve found. Plus for like 4 bucks you get a huge tureen brought to your table which serves maybe 4 of the Chinese bowl worth. You get less if you carry out but it’s still a great deal.
Where I think most restaurants fail is in the sour and hot balance. I prefer a milder rice wine vinegar + preserved veg to supply the sour and for the hot, I like the Szechuan peppercorns but alas they are not to be had in the US except in very small and discreet quantities. I also believe tha vegetarian HS soup while good, is not hs soup. You have to have the shredded pork!
Although there is a place peddling divine Kung-Po Tofu nearby, their H&S soup is made with chicken stock and I won’t eat that.