Is it soup season yet? It is getting very close and I have certainly been thinking up ideas.
Somehow, this Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup made it into my soup rotation a little early. I really enjoy mushrooms. I love there earthiness and they have a meatiness to them. Mushrooms are also very versatile. I have made a number of dishes covering a number of different cultures. My first example brings us to the South with this BISCUITS WITH A MUSHROOM GRAVY. How about this vegan Italian spin with MUSHROOM ZUCCHINI NOODLES. Or this mushroom, mushroom and more mushroom SAUTÉED MUSHROOM MEDLEY. One final idea is an all American burger – well sort of. Try this VEGAN BLACK BEAN MUSHROOM BURGER.
Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup
I do not make a lot of Chinese dishes. Hot & sour soup is a classic dish. I wanted to make it heartier so I added some mushrooms to give it more body. The dish is also gluten free – good for me! The soup is thickened with corn starch. It gets the hot, the spice, from some sambal. I also think some of the hot comes from the ginger.
As I normally do, I wondered about the history of this soup. HOT & SOUR SOUP comes from a number of Asian culinary traditions. Most known in China, it hails from both Beijing and Sichuan. I guess Sichuan is where the spice comes from. Something I learned is that this soup also is made in India. I have never seen it on an Indian menu. The spice comes from green chilies. That makes sense.
The cast of characters.
Ingredients
Building the Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup.
Building the Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup
The Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup Plated.
Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup Plated
Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup
Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup hails from a number of Asian countries. Though a simple soup, it is packed with flavor from the mushrooms, ginger, sambal and more.
Ingredients
- 1 Pint Earthy Mushrooms
- 8 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 2 Tbsp Mushroom base
- 2 Whole Eggs beaten
- 1 Package Firm Tofu cubed
- 8 Ounces Bamboo shoots
- 1/4 Cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Gluten free soy sauce
- 2 Tsp Ground ginger
- 1 Tsp Sambal Oelek
- 1/4 Cup Corn starch
- 1 Tsp Sesame oil
- 2 Tsp Mirin
- 1 Whole Green onion diced
Instructions
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Set aside ¼ cup of the vegetable stock for later use. Add the remaining 7 ¾ cups vegetable stock, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, mirin and sambal oelek to a stock pot, and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat until the soup reaches a simmer. While the soup is heating, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of stock and the cornstarch in a small bowl until completely smooth. Once the soup is simmering, stir in the cornstarch mixture and stir for 1 minute or so until the soup has thickened.
Continue stirring the soup in a circular motion, then drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream (while still stirring the soup) to create egg ribbons. Stir in the tofu and sesame oil. Then season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste. If you’d like a more “sour” soup, feel free to add in another tablespoon or two of rice wine vinegar as well. Or if you’d like a spicier soup, add in more sambal oelek.
Serve immediately, garnished with the green onions.
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