• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Curious Flavors
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer
    • Main Dish
    • side dish
    • Soups
    • Noodles
    • Desserts
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Pasta
  • About Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
Home » Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup

March 5, 2022 by Jomelyn 5 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This easy, tasty, and, healthy Hot and Sour Soup Recipe is the best Chinese soup, ever! It is rich in delicious and savory flavors that everybody loves. It is perfect for a nice warm soup on cold and rainy days.

A spoonful of hot and sour soup
Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup can be found in Chinese and some Asian Restaurant and Buffet in the United States. Our homemade hot and soup recipe is better than your take-out from your favorite Restaurants. You can control and pick your ingredients for your recipe. With the combinations of hot, sour and slightly sweet flavors, this soup yeilds the most delicious soup.

It is warming, comforting and delicious. We can’t stop eating just one bowl. It is good as it is or with rice on the side.

Hot and Sour ingredients

Combining these ingredients makes the best and most perfect Chinese sweet and sour soup recipe that you will enjoy. With different textures from crunchy carrots, silky and glossy from Tufo, and chewy mushrooms.

  • Mushrooms – It gives earthy and aroma flavors to the soup. I use baby bella and dried mushrooms. You can use any type of your favorite mushrooms.
  • Vegetable Broth – You can use chicken or beef broth if you have them as well. Or try my homemade beef broth recipe.
  • Rice Vinegar – It gives sour flavor.
  • Carrots – Adds crunch and vibrant color. Authentic hot and sour soup use bamboo shoots. Use what you have.
  • Ginger – Adds spicy flavor. Use ground ginger as it is accessible and it will last a long time when stored in the pantry as a substitute.
  • Sciracha – It gives hot and spicy flavor. You can use chili oil or red pepper flakes as well.
  • Sugar – To give slightly sweet flavor. Skip this if you don’t want to use sugar. Add Honey for healthy alternative.
  • Tofu – Rich in protein. Use firm, soft, or silky tofu and gently slice into julienned or cube. Silky tofu can easily break apart when slicing, that is why I prefer to use extra-firm tofu.
  • Soy Sauce – For seasoning and color. You can skip it and just use additional 1/4 teaspoon of salt if you don’t have it on hand. If you are looking for gluten-free soy sauce, try this tamari soy sauce healthy substitute.
  • White pepper – For flavor. Authentic Hot and Sour Soup calls for white pepper but you can also use black pepper.
  • Tapioca powder – To thicken the sauce. It is healtheir and cheaper. Cornstarch is a popular and more accesible. Use whatever you have. We will make a slurry using tapioca powder and dissolve with 1/4 cup of water.
  • Eggs – It gives silky ribbon thread and extra thickness.
  • Toasted Sesame oil – It gives nutty flavor. It is optional, but highly recommended.
  • Green onion – For garnish and extra flavor and color.
Ingredients for Chinese hot and sour soup

This recipe is meatless but you can add pork, chicken, or beef to your recipe. If you are vegan, skip the eggs!

How to make Hot and sour soup

This is a super easy, simple, and flavorful hot and sour soup recipe that anyone can make at home. It takes 15-20 minutes of cooking and 5 minutes to prepare.

Soaking dried mushrooms.
Dried and rehydrated mushrooms
  1. Prepare all the ingredients. Soak dried fungus or mushrooms in water for 1-2 hours or pour a warm water to cut down on time. Slice your mushrooms, ginger and carrots in a matchstick and chop green onions.
  2. Sauce – Combine tapioca or cornstarch with water, stir to dissolve. Add in sugar, salt, soy sauce, white pepper, and sciracha chili sauce. Mix well and set it aside. Beat the eggs and set it aside.
  3. In a large pot, toss carrots, ginger and mushrooms together. Pour vegetable broth and bring it to a boil on medium to high heat. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. I use 4 cups of broth but you can add more if you want extra liquid in your soup. Just add 1 teaspoon of your thickiner as well.
  4. Add in your tofu and let it boil and you need to turn your heat to high. Carefully sliding the tofu to retain shape specially if you are using silky tofu.
  5. Pour the sauce into the pot and stir gently and consistently until it thickens the soup. Beat the eggs and pour it gently to the soup. Turn off the heat and add the rice vinegar, stir.
  6. Serve your hot and sour soup with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and green onions on top.
Step by step photos on how to cook hot and sour soup recipe

Frequently asked questions

How many calories per serving?

162 calories per servings only.

Is Chinese hot and sour soup healthy?

Absolutely yes! If you make it at home with all the ingredients I listed above, you will make the healthiest soup that is loaded with healthy ingredients such as fungus, vegetables, spices, and herbs.

Is hot and sour soup authentic Chinese?

Yes. It is a classic Chinese dish that can be made and enjoyed homemade. You can follow the traditional recipe or adopt your own variation.

What is the difference between hot and sour soup and egg drop soup?

The hot and sour soup uses the same ingredients as egg drop soup plus more ingredients such as carrots, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar for flavorings.

How do you fix bland hot and sour soup?

Add more soy sauce or salt accordingly. If you like it hot, add more white pepper for extra heat. If you like it sourer like me, gradually add more vinegar.

A large pot of hot and sour soup.

Storage Tips

Refrigerator – You can make large batches. If your have leftovers, let it cool down completely. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigirator for up to 5 days.

Freezer – If you plan to freeze your hot and sour soup, don’t cook the tofu yet. The tufo texture have a mushy texture when frozen. Let it cool down completely and transfer in an air-tight container or mason jar.

More recipes you might like

Macaroni Chicken Soup (Sopas)

Cheesy Potato Bacon Soup

Creamy Turkey Mushroom Soup

Easy Egg Drop Soup

A spoonful of hot and sour soup

Hot and Sour Soup Recipe

Jomelyn Mauermann
This easy, tasty, and, healthy Hot and Sour Soup is the best Chinese soup, ever! It is rich in delicious and savory flavors that everybody loves. It is perfect for a nice warm soup on cold and rainy days.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Course Soup
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Servings 6 servings
Calories 162 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 large pot

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounce baby bella mushrooms sliced thinly
  • 2 ounce dried black fungus (mushrooms)
  • 1 large carrot julienned
  • 14 ounce dice tofu julienned
  • 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons tapioca powder cornstarch
  • ¼ cup cold water
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sriracha hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon refined salt
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ½ cup green onions garnish

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the ingredients. Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Slice all the mushrooms, carrots, ginger, and tofu into matchstick.
  • Sauce. In a small bowl, pour water and cornstarch, stir well to dissolve the cornstarch. Add in the sugar, salt, soy sauce, sciracha sauce and white pepper mixing well combine. Set it aside.
  • In a large pot over medium to high heat, toss mushrooms, ginger, and carrots in with the vegetable broth and let it boil.
  • Gently add the tofu, stir and let it boil. Gradually pour the sauce mixture. Stirring constantly until the soup thickens slightly.
  • In a bowl, beat the eggs, then pour them slowly into the soup in a steady stream, constantly stirring until it forms threads. Turn off the heat and pour the rice vinegar, stirring until well blended.
  • Adjust the seasonings accordingly. Serve in a bowl and drizzle some toasted sesame oil and sprinkle some green onions on top.

Notes

Recipe Note:
  • Once the soup thickened, you can adjust your seasoning accordingly. You can reduce the spiciness of the soup to be more kid-friendly.
  • Keep the soup simmering (it should be bubbling before you add the beaten egg, or the soup will turn cloudy when it is added), and begin stirring in a circular motion with your ladle once again.
 
Disclaimer: All nutritional information in this recipe is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content may vary with the cooking method, brands used, measurements, portion sizes, and more.

Nutrition

Calories: 162kcal
Keyword Chinese hot and sour soup
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Related Posts:

  • Vegan Japchae Recipe
    Vegan Japchae Recipe
  • Shakshuka with Mushrooms
    Shakshuka with Mushrooms
  • Sweet Sticky Sesame Tofu
    Sweet Sticky Sesame Tofu
  • Asian Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Pineapple
    Asian Sweet and Sour Meatballs with Pineapple
  • Pancit Bihon Recipe
    Pancit Bihon Recipe
  • Purple Bread Rolls (Ube Pandesal)
    Purple Bread Rolls (Ube Pandesal)
  • Beef Lumpia
    Beef Lumpia
  • Ginataang Gulay
    Ginataang Gulay

Filed Under: Soup

Previous Post: « Pandesal
Next Post: Avocado Nice Cream »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Nora

    March 5, 2022 at 10:32 pm

    5 stars
    Yummy! I love a good soup recipe like this. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    August 19, 2022 at 8:18 pm

    5 stars
    Comforting recipe, so tasty and satisfying.

    Reply
  3. Maya

    October 28, 2022 at 3:57 pm

    5 stars
    Its savory and has the perfect seasoning. I will make it again tomorrow.

    Reply
  4. Tom

    November 13, 2022 at 10:52 pm

    5 stars
    So savory and satisfying soup we made the other night.

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    January 9, 2023 at 3:58 am

    5 stars
    Made this hot and sour soup today.Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Categories

Recent Recipes

Finish dish of cheese lumpia on the table with dipping.

Cheese Lumpia

February 1, 2023 By Jomelyn Leave a Comment

Finish dish of tuna sisig in a plate.

Tuna Sisig

January 27, 2023 By Jomelyn Leave a Comment

Serving orange chicken dish on a plate, ready to eat.

Orange Chicken Tofu

January 21, 2023 By Jomelyn Leave a Comment

A bite of sweet and sticky tofu nugget.

Sweet Sticky Sesame Tofu

January 19, 2023 By Jomelyn Leave a Comment

Finish dish of pork binagoongan with rice on a plate.

Easy Pork Binagoongan

January 18, 2023 By Jomelyn Leave a Comment

Pakbet in a plate with rice on the side.

Pinakbet Ilocano

January 13, 2023 By Jomelyn Leave a Comment

Finish dish of ginataang gulay in a plate with rice.

Ginataang Gulay

January 13, 2023 By Jomelyn Leave a Comment

Finish dish of ginisang gulay in a skillet.

Ginisang Gulay

January 9, 2023 By Jomelyn Leave a Comment

About Me

About Me

Hi, my name is Jomelyn, and nice to meet you! I am a wife and a busy mom of a 5-year-old sweet little boy. 

Cooking and baking are not complicated. I encourage you to try it. Scroll some of our recipes and let’s do it!

Footer

Categories

About Me

  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Privacy Policy
  • Recipes

Recent Posts

  • Cheese Lumpia
  • Tuna Sisig
  • Orange Chicken Tofu
  • Sweet Sticky Sesame Tofu
  • Easy Pork Binagoongan

Copyright © 2023 CURIOUS FLAVORS. All rights reserved.