This Chinese hot and sour soup with tofu is a deliciously warming recipe filled with nutrients. It's ideal if you're feeling under the weather or just want a really healthy vitamin rich soup recipe.
If you love to make and eat soup then this hot and sour soup recipe needs to be on your list. It's a great recipe full of flavour that can easily be adapted too. I used tofu in this soup this time but I have also made it with chicken and prawns. There are so many ways to adapt it and make it suit your family's tastes.
I have to admit, this is not a completely authentic Chinese hot and sour soup. It's my version of the recipe and has been adapted to make it an easy recipe for anyone at home to make. I've included lots of suggestions for adaptations and substitutions so if you don't have an ingredient you can still make a really tasty soup with Chinese flavours.
Ingredient notes for Chinese hot and sour soup with tofu
I'm not suggesting that my verion of hot and sour soup is completely authentic but it is delicious and to make it you'll need:
- Cooking oil - You can use vegetable, sunflower or even a light olive oil. Use whatever your everyday cooking oil is.
- Aromatics - root ginger, garlic cloves, chilli peppers and coriander (cilantro). You can use a puree for the garlic and ginger if that's easier than using fresh ingredients. For the chilli I used just one birds eye chilli. Birds eye chillies are hot but with just one birds eye chilli it wasn't too hot for my family. Of course, feel free to use more birds eye chillies if you want it to be more fiery. If you want it to be less fiery, use a milder chilli pepper or remove the seeds.
- Vegetables - I used shitake mushrooms, carrot, bamboo shoots and spring onions. Feel free to vary the vegetables you use. This soup can be a great recipe for using up any vegetables hanging around at the bottom of the fridge.
- Tofu - I used firm tofu. If you're not a fan of tofu or don't want this to be vegetarian then you can of course replace the tofu with chicken or prawns.
- Vegetable stock - Use homemade stock or a stock cube.
- Soy sauce
- Rice wine vinegar
- Toasted sesame oil
- Egg - Hot and sour soup traditionally has an egg whisked into it at the end. If you want to make this soup vegan then miss it out.
- Sichuan pepper - I sprinkled some on at the end to season it but if you don't have any then freel free to use normal pepper. Some people find it tastes a little soapy so if you don't have it or don't like it then season with black or white pepper instead.
How to make Chinese hot and sour soup
Do check out the printable recipe card further down the post for full instructions.
First heat up a little oil in a large saucpan and when it is hot, stir in the ginger, garlic and chilli pepper. Stir fry gently for 5 minutes.
Then add all the vegetables (except the spring onion), tofu and stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Then stir in about half of the coriander and the spring onions
Break the egg into a bowl and beat with a fork. Then pour slowly into the soup, stirring all the time to make strands of egg.
Stir in the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Taste and add a little extra if necessary.
Serve topped with extra coriander and a little sichuan pepper if you have it. Otherwise ordinary pepper.
How can you adapt Chinese hot and sour soup?
As I've mentioned earlier there are so many ways to adapt this recipe. Feel free to vary the vegetables. Add extra aromatics.
If you want to make it into a more substantial meal then you could serve it over noodles or rice even. That's not traditional but it works!
Storing and reheating the leftovers
If you have any leftovers they will keep well in the fridge for at least three days in an airtight container.
You can reheat it in a saucepan or in the microwave.
Can you freeze it?
Yes you can. Freeze individual portions for up to three months.
Recipe
Chinese Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 25 g root ginger grated
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 birds eye chilli pepper Use more if you want it to be more fiery
- 120 g shitake mushrooms sliced
- 1 carrot Peeled with a potato peeler to make ribbons or cut into thin battons
- 120 g bamboo shoots
- 200 g firm tofu cut into cubes
- 1 ltr vegetable stock
- 3 spring onions diced
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 25 g coriander leaves
- 1 egg beaten
- Pinch szechuan pepper or pepper to season (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the cooking oil in a large saucepan and then gently fry the ginger, garlic and chilli pepper for about 5 minutes.
- Add all the vegetables, the tofu and the stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the sping onions and about half of the coriander. Then pour in the beaten egg while stirring.
- Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Taste and add a little more if necessary.
- Serve topped with a little extra coriander and a spinkling of szechuan pepper. If you don't have szechuan pepper, use ordinary pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
More recipe you might like
If you like this soup recipe then why not try one of these soups:
- Homemade Instant Noodle Soup
- Salmon Miso Soup with Soba Noodles
- Red Lentil Soup with Curry Spices
- Quick tom yum soup with prawns
Keep in touch
Do let me know if you make this Chinese hot and sour soup with tofu or any of my other recipes. I love to get feedback from readers.
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