HOT AND SOUR SOUP

Ingredients:
------------
2 tblsp oil
2-3 oz. fresh mushrooms
6-8 cup stock
1 small can of sliced bamboo shoots (3 oz?), cut lengthwise into
three, drained
8 oz. tofu (or a package), sliced 2" X 1/4" X 1/4", drained
2 tblsp vinegar
2 tblsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
3 tblsp corn starch
3 tblsp water
1 egg, beaten (eliminate for vegans)
2 green onions, cut into thin circles
1 tblsp chinese-style dark sesame oil
fresh ginger (size of US quarter, 3/4 inch round, 1/8 inch thick)
Tabasco sauce or chili oil (optional)

Instructions:
-------------
Slice the mushrooms and saute with oil in the soup pot (you can eliminate fat by just tossing the mushrooms in the stock without sauteing them, but they shrink something awful!). Add the stock (I used chicken, which is traditional). Most people will want the stock to have salt, but remember that the soy sauce is salty. Add the ginger, heat to a boil, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
At some point you may wish to discard the ginger so some unsuspecting soul doesn't bite into it and get a mouthful of heat. You may wish to do the rest differently, but my wife is always in the kitchen preparing another last-minute dish, so I like to get all my ingredients together and ready.
Get five small bowls. Put the vinegar, soy sauce, ground white pepper and (optional) hot sauce in one and mix. Put the corn starch and water in the next and mix. Put the (optional) egg in the next and beat lightly. Put the green onion in the next, and the tofu and matchstick-cut bamboo shoots in the last.
A few minutes before you are ready to eat, turn the heat to medium.
Add the tofu and bamboo shoots and wait until heated. Add the soy sauce mixture, heat until boiling. Stir corn starch mixture and add to rapidly boiling soup. Boil for a long minute until it thickens. Reduce heat.
If using egg, stir the soup in one direction until it's moving pretty well. Dribble the egg in, forming long strands. Let the strands firm (20 seconds). Add sesame oil and stir. You can float the green onions
on top, or stir them in. Serve, with chili oil available for those who like it hotter.

From: Kim Muralt

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

Ingredients:
------------
1-2cm fresh root ginger
1 medium sized hot green chilli (cored and seeded)
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups water
1 vegetable stock cube (2 cup size)
Juice of one lemon
1 tblsp vinegar
3 tblsp dark soy sauce
1/3 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp five spice powder
4 spring onions
1 medium sized red sweet bell pepper
1 medium sized yellow sweet bell pepper
225g tin water chestnuts
225g tin bamboo shoots

Instructions:
-------------
Chop the ginger, chilli pepper and garlic finely. Simmer for ten minutes in 2 1/2 cups of water. Core, seed and chop the red and yellow peppers into strips. Slice the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Add these and the other remaining ingredients. Cook until the vegetables are cooked, but still crisp. Adjust the seasoning to sour and spicy, and make the liquid up to 7-8 cups (around 3 pints).
Serves 4 as a starter to a chinese meal.

From: Rich Young

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

(Serves 5 or 6)
Ingredients:
------------
1 quart golden miso broth
1 can bamboo shoots
1 can sliced water chestnuts
4 or 5 tree ear mushrooms, chopped
4 or 5 shitake mushrooms, chopped
1 pound firm tofu, cubed
1 can baby corn
4 Tblsp white vinegar
4 Tblsp dark soy sauce
2 Tblsp sesame oil
1 Tblsp oriental hot oil
chopped scallions to taste

Instructions:
-------------
Bring miso broth to simmer in wok. Add all ingredients except sesame oil and scallions. Simmer 20 minutes.
Add sesame oil, stir and serve with chopped scallions (white and green parts) on top.

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

2 T oil
2-3 oz. fresh mushrooms
6-8 c. stock
fresh ginger (size of US quarter, 3/4 inch round, 1/8 inch thick)
8 oz. tofu (or a package), sliced 2" X 1/4" X 1/4", drained
2 T vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1/4 t white pepper
Tabasco sauce or chili oil (optional)
3 T corn starch
3 T water
1 egg, beaten (eliminate for vegans)
2 green onions, cut into thin circles
1 T chinese-style dark sesame oil

Slice the mushrooms and saute with oil in the soup pot (you can eliminate fat by just tossing the mushrooms in the stock without sauteing them, but they shrink something awful!). Add the stock (I used ch****n, which is traditional, but this is cross-posted to rec.food.veg, so I can't say that). Most people will want the stock to have salt, but remember that the soy sauce is salty. Add the ginger, heat to a boil, and simmer gently for 20 minutes. At some point you may wish to discard the ginger so some unsuspecting soul doesn't bite into it and get a mouthful of heat. You may wish to do the rest differently, but my wife is always in the kitchen reparing
another last-minute dish, so I like to get all my ingredients together and ready. Get five small bowls. Put the vinegar, soy sauce, ground white pepper and (optional) hot sauce in one and mix. Put the corn starch and water in the next and mix. Put the (optional) egg in the next and beat lightly. Put the green onion in the next, and the tofu and matchstick-cut bamboo shoots in the last.
A few minutes before you are ready to eat, turn the heat to medium.
Add the tofu and bamboo shoots and wait until heated. Add the soy sauce mixture, heat until boiling. Stir corn starch mixture and add to rapidly boiling soup. Boil for a long minute until it thickens.
Reduce heat. If using egg, stir the soup in one direction until it's moving pretty well. Dribble the egg in, forming long strands. Let the strands firm (20 seconds). Add sesame oil and stir. You can float the green onions on top, or stir them in. Serve, with chili oil available for those who like it hotter.

HOT AND SOUR SOUP

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-6)
1 Tbsp peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp ginger root (aboutr 2 slices)
1 1/2 Tbsp
soy sauce or tamari
1/2 cup bamboo shoots, shredded
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
10 dried lily buds (also called golden needles)
12 dried tree ear fungus (also called cloud ears)
4 cups chicken broth (canned or homemade; I usually use canned)
3 Tbsp vinegar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 tofu pad (a package generally contains 2 pads)
1/4 cup green onions
2 eggs
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1/4-1 tsp chili oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
salt and more pepper

PROCEDURE
(1) Rehydrate the dried ingredients (15 minutes: in lukewarm water for the shiitakes, and in boiling
water for the lily buds and tree ears). Heat the chicken broth (if it's canned, prepare it).
(2) Mince the garlic and ginger root and combine them. Shred the bamboo shoots.
Combine the cornstarch and the water. Chop the green onions. Lightly beat the eggs.
(3) Heat oil in wok (medium), add the garlic and ginger, stirring 30 seconds.
(4) Add the soy sauce, cook for 1 minute more.
(5) Add bamboo shoots, shiitakes, lily buds, tree ear fungi, stir quickly for 1 minute.
(6) Stir in chicken broth, vinegar.
(7 ) Stir cornstarch/water mix one last time and add it to the soup.
( Add the tofu and bring the soup to a boil.
(9) Turn the heat to low, add the green onions.
(10) Add the beaten eggs in a slow stream, stirring several times.
(11) Turn off the heat and add the sesame oil, chili oil, white pepper. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Hot and Sour soup

Ingredients
1-2cm fresh root ginger
1 medium sized hot green chilli (cored and seeded)
2 cloves garlic
2 1/2 cups water
1 vegetable stock cube (2 cup size)
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp vinegar
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/3 tsp dried ginger
1 tsp five spice powder
4 spring onions
1 medium sized red sweet bell pepper
1 medium sized yellow sweet bell pepper
225g tin water chestnuts
225g tin bamboo shoots

Method
Chop the ginger, chilli pepper and garlic finely. Simmer for ten minutes in 2 1/2 cups of water.
Core, seed and chop the red and yellow peppers into strips.
Slice the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Add these and the other remaining ingredients. Cook until the vegetables are cooked, but still crisp. Adjust the seasoning to sour and spicy, and make the liquid up to 7-8 cups (around 3 pints).
Serves 4 as a starter to a chinese meal.

Hot and Sour Soup

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 block (16 oz.) of tofu, cut into 1 1/2 inch long strips
5 shitake mushrooms, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cups bamboo shoot strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
3 eggs. beaten
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Combine first seven ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring to thicken.
Then drizzle beaten eggs into soup, stirring. Top with sesame oil.

Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

2 1/2 quarts water
1 block (16 oz.) of tofu, cut into 1 1/2 inch long strips
5 shitake mushrooms, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cups bamboo shoot strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
3 eggs. beaten
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Combine first seven ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring to thicken.
Then drizzle beaten eggs into soup, stirring. Top with sesame oil.