Hot and Sour Soup

I love how recipes pass from person to person, often with some tinkering to take into account personal preferences or regional ingredients.  This recipe, as I understand it, came from 101 Easy Asian recipes and began with Joanne Chang (one of my favorite chefs).  It was then adapted by the Smitten Kitchen blog.  That is where I found it and Kate and I adapted it further last week to suit our own tastes.  It is  one of the best hot and sour soups I have ever had–clean and bright tasting! It is also an amazingly easy and quick soup to put together, making it truly perfect for a weeknight meal when time is short.  Rice or veggies as a side would be all you would need to make the meal complete.

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

2 T. canola oil

1/2 lb. ground pork

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup sliced scallions

5-6 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and sliced thinly

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (the 365 brand from Whole Foods is the one we use)

1/4 pound (about 1/3 of a typical package) of firm (not extra firm) tofu, cut into small dice

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

3 T. soy sauce

1 t. sugar

1 t. black pepper

1 t. sesame oil (preferably toasted)

1 T. Sriracha (or the hot sauce of your choice)

2 eggs, beaten

6-8 pea pods sliced thinly on the bias

a handful of pea shoots or microgreens, washed (definitely optional)

PREPARATION:

1.  In a saucepan (or pan with straight sides that is deep enough to hold soup), heat the oil over medium heat and add the ground pork breaking up with a spoon, then the garlic,  ginger and scallions and cook, stirring frequently until the pork is fully cooked and the garlic and ginger are fragrant (3-5 minutes).
2. Add the chicken broth, mushrooms, tofu, vinegar, soy sauce,  sugar, pepper, sesame oil and Sriracha and bring to a simmer.
3. Check the seasonings and add more soy sauce or pepper if needed (extra Sriracha or hot sauce can be served on the table).
4. Stir constantly while slowly drizzling the eggs into the soup (it helps to have two people for this step) and cook until the eggs coalesce into small distinct strands (this happens in just a minute or so).
5. Top with the pea pods slices and pea shoots or microgreens, if using, and serve.
6. Extra Sriracha and soy sauce are good to have as condiments on the table.