Shanghai Style Hot & Sour Soup (Hushi Suanle Geng)

~Hot & Sour Soup is a wonderfully sensual experience of flavors and textures; the soup is at once slightly sour from aged vinegar, smoky and spicy from hot bean paste, silky pieces of tofu gently caressing the tongue, and various degrees of crunch from wood ear mushrooms, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots.  I searched far and wide, but could not find a restaurant that seemed to have a chef who knew how to make it. Little did I realize, the version I love derived from Shanghai. I’m no expert but judging on appearance alone, Shanghai uses a black vinegar instead of red.   

I came across this recipe in Saveur’s 97^th issue. It wasn’t on the cover. It wasn’t even a featured story. Just inserted randomly between pages inside a 1.5” box. But it caught my eye and once I tried, I was hooked. I’ve taken some liberties on the original and adjusted it to my preference.  Whenever I make this for my dad, he insists on having it with some sort of meat. I normally keep it vegetarian because the meat doesn’t seem to add to the flavor.

*Photo credit goes to Chef 818, whose camera obviously has better lighting than mine =). Thanks, Danna!!

Ingredients:

½ cup hotbean paste

1 tsp vegetable oil

2- 14 oz cans chicken broth

4 tbsp chianking vinegar

4 tbsp shiaoxing wine

1 tsp granulated sugar

½ tsp kosher salt

6 oz soft tofu- sliced into long pieces

4 shiitake mushrooms- rehydrated and sliced

1 cup lily buds- rehydrated and remove hard tips (optional- tie into knots)

½ cup woodear mushrooms- rehydrated julienned

8 oz bamboo shoot threads

4 oz water chestnuts- sliced into slivers

2 tbsp corn starch or tapioca starch

1 scallion- minced

*1 egg (optional)

*¼ lb ground pork or chicken (optional)

Directions:

1. Set soup pot on medium heat. Lightly coat surface with oil. Add hot bean paste and let toast for about 1min.
2. Add shiitake mushrooms and cook for 1min.
3.   *If you plan to use ground meat, add at this time. Mix thoroughly with bean paste and cook for several minutes until meat is thoroughly cooked.
4. Add vinegar, wine, sugar, salt, and chicken broth. Take one empty chicken broth can and fill with water. Add to pot. Stir to combine.
5. In a small bowl, add starch and a few tbsp of the soup. Stir until blended and there are no clumps. Set aside.
6. Cover pot and let simmer.
7. Once it comes to a boil, taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in starch mixture. Then add tofu, wood ear mushrooms, golden thread, and bamboo shoot.
8. Lower heat to low setting. Cover and let simmer for 20-30min.
9.   *In a small bowl, beat egg. Uncover pot and slowly drizzle egg across the soup.
10. Ladle into bowls and garnish with scallions. Serve immediately.