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Best Classic Hot and Sour Soup Recipe

Classic Hot and Sour Soup is a comforting Chinese-inspired soup made with tofu, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, silky egg ribbons, and a perfectly balanced spicy-tangy broth. This lighter homemade version delivers bold flavor while being lower in sodium than traditional restaurant recipes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Calories: 91
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 1 cup bamboo shoots julienned
  • 1 block firm tofu cubed
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons cold water
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 green onions sliced

Method
 

  1. Bring broth to a simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Add mushrooms, soy sauce, vinegar, and white pepper; simmer for 5 minutes.
  3. Whisk cornstarch with cold water to form a slurry.
  4. Slowly stir slurry into the soup and simmer until slightly thickened.
  5. Add tofu and heat gently for 2–3 minutes.
  6. Slowly drizzle beaten eggs into the soup while stirring to form ribbons.
  7. Add green onions and sesame oil.
  8. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Notes

Add vinegar and white pepper at the end of cooking to preserve their flavor. Always mix cornstarch with cold water before adding to avoid clumping.