I think you’ll love this version so much better than your favorite take out place. We certainly do. It’s perfect for the spicy food lover, and easy to make it as “hot” and spicy, and sour, as you prefer. This is a soup we love when the weather turns colder. It’s very easy to make and it is very comforting, especially with my additional spices. It is very much like egg drop soup, but with more ingredients added in. There are many variations of this soup, depending on the region and the cook, though typical ingredients include chicken or vegetable stock with lots of mushrooms, tofu, and pork or chicken. This recipe is more of a Chinese-American style hot and sour soup, more like you would find in your local Chinese restaurant, though I try to incorporate more traditional elements. It is thickened with cornstarch, which isn’t always used in traditional Chinese versions, though I do see it in some of my cookbooks. Let’s talk about how to make hot and sour soup, shall we? Serve. Serve the hot and sour soup into bowls and top with hot sesame oil or hot chili oil, scallions or green onions, and red pepper flakes. Boil the Stock. Add the chicken stock, rice vinegar, soy sauce and hot sesame oil to a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add Ingredients and Simmer. Add the Sichuan peppercorns, mushrooms, lily buds, bamboo shoots, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Thicken the Soup. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook, stirring, 5 minutes to thicken. Form the Egg Ribbons. Slowly pour in the beaten eggs while very slowly stirring the soup in a circular motion. This will allow the eggs to form silky ribbons in the swirling soup. Remove from heat. Boom! Done! Your hot and sour soup is ready to serve! I’m so ready to dig into this. We love this soup, especially when I make it extra spicy just for us. That’s it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my spicy hot and sour soup recipe. Let me know if you make it. I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Keep it spicy! Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H. You can freeze hot and sour soup in a vacuum sealed container for 3 months or longer.
The Food of Sichuan, by Fuchsia Dunlop (affiliate link, my friends!) - This book is fantastic with loads of authentic Sichuan recipes and knowledge. Highly recommended. Easy Chinese Cookbook: Restaurant Favorites Make Simple, by Chris Toy (affiliate link, my friends!)
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 2/24/23 to include new information, photos, and video. It was originally published on 3/14/22.
