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Sour soup

Sour Soup

This sour soup is tangy, spicy, and deeply comforting—layered with chicken, mushrooms, tofu, and silky egg ribbons in a warming broth. Perfect for cozy weeknights or when you want a restaurant-quality dish at home.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: ASIAN
Calories: 210
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Chicken & Mushrooms
  • 220 g chicken breast
  • 12 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked until soft (or 150 g fresh)
  • 0.5 cup wood ear mushrooms chopped bite-sized
For the Hot & Sour Broth
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ginger finely grated
  • 1 tsp dried chili flakes adjust to taste
  • 0.5 tsp white pepper or substitute black pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 0.25 cup white vinegar
For the Soup Base
  • 125 g firm tofu cubed ½-inch
  • 0.25 cup bamboo shoots thinly sliced
  • 2 large eggs whisked
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch mixed with equal water
  • 0.25 cup water to make slurry
  • 1 shallot or scallion finely sliced
  • Salt to taste

Method
 

  1. Step 1: Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for 20–30 minutes, drain, and slice thinly. Set aside.
  2. Step 2: In a large pot, bring stock, soy sauces, sesame oil, ginger, chili flakes, sugar, and pepper to a simmer. Add chicken breast, cover, and poach 10 minutes. Remove and shred.
  3. Step 3: Add vinegar, shiitake, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu, and shredded chicken to the broth. Simmer 10 minutes.
  4. Step 4: Stir in cornstarch slurry gradually, mixing until broth slightly thickens.
  5. Step 5: Drizzle whisked eggs into the simmering broth while stirring gently to create silky ribbons.
  6. Step 6: Taste and season with salt, more vinegar, or chili as needed. Stir in shallots before serving hot.

Notes

For vegetarian soup, omit chicken and use vegetable stock with extra tofu or vegetables. Fresh mushrooms may replace dried shiitake. To freeze, store the broth and chicken only; add tofu and eggs fresh when reheating.