Hot and Sour Soup

mmm, this opens up the airways!

Been sick?  I have, like the rest of my town.  Besides a garlic sandwich, I'm always on the hunt for hot and sour soup.  Hunt is an understatement.  My Safeway usually has it in the deli section.  Nope, not anymore.  Our local Thai restaurant, not my favorite. Can I get a good bowl of hot soup to open up my nose anywhere?

Necessity provided me with the opportunity to make my own.  Let me know if you try it and what you think?

INGREDIENTS

4 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tsp asian hot sauce, or chili paste, (or to taste, start with a little and add until it seems like it carries the right punch) I used srirachi sauce

2 cup(s) mushroom(s), sliced (I prefer crimini, but white, shitake or any kind of mushroom will work just fine)

9 oz firm tofu

1 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 eggs

1 tsp  raw sugar

1 tsp diced ginger, fresh

2 medium scallion(s), sliced

optional - 1/3 cup(s) bamboo shoots, sliced

DIRECTIONS

Dice up your tofu, mushrooms and bamboo shoots

In a soup pot, stir together the chicken broth, vinegar,sugar, ginger, hot sauce, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots and tofu.

Bring to a simmer and cook for five (5) minutes.

Stir in cornstarch and simmer two (2) minutes more. Scramble eggs in a bowl, slowly stir into hot soup.

Serve, sprinkling each bowl with sliced scallions.

Like most of my other recipes – you add more of what you want and less of what you don’t. I love mushrooms – so I add a lot. Tofu regularly goes on sale for $0.99 a container (it seems like it’s on sale a lot at Safeway?) and this can be a great meal to whip up when you find a good deal on mushrooms. I think this soup would freeze just fine.

Let me know what you think!