Name: Hot and Sour Soup
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 6 cups vegetable broth; 4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced; ½ lb firm tofu, cut into small cubes; ½ cup bamboo shoots, cut into thin strips; 2 tbsp grated fresh ginger; 5 tbsp white vinegar; 1 tsp sugar; ½ cup tamari or soy sauce; 1 tsp cayenne pepper, ground; 1 tsp ground white pepper; ¼ tsp garlic powder; 2 tbsp cornstarch; ½ cup water; 2 tbsp finely chopped scallions; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Need to set your soul on fire? This is a must-try recipe–simple, powerful and addictive. Pre-vegan days, I was always timid around Hot and Sour Soup from Chinese restaurants.

6 cups vegetable broth

4 oz shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

½ lb firm tofu, cut into small cubes

½ cup bamboo shoots, cut into thin strips

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

5 tbsp white vinegar

1 tsp sugar

½ cup tamari or soy sauce

1 tsp cayenne pepper, ground

1 tsp ground white pepper

¼ tsp garlic powder

2 tbsp cornstarch

½ cup water

2 tbsp finely chopped scallions

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Remove stems from mushrooms (reserve for making stock or soup), and thinly slice caps. (Don’t soak or wash the mushrooms, just brush off any dirt with a dry paper towel.)

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium pot, and add the tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginger, tamari, spices, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Mix the corn starch and water in a small bowl to create a slurry which will thicken the soup when added. Add the slurry to the pot while stirring constantly. Cook for about 3 more minutes, until you feel the soup thicken slightly. Turn off the heat. Ladle the soup into bowls, then garnish with scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil.