Hot and Sour Soup

For as long as I can remember, my family has enjoyed the best Chinese food at Tsing Tao, on Solano Avenue in Albany/Berkeley. Even as a little kid, my mom would always give me the tofu from Hot and Sour Soup. It was the best thing in the world!

As I got older, we kept going there. On each visit the hostess/waitress would update us on which of our family members had been in that week. Then she'd check in on how much food we wanted. Did we want the Hot and Sour Soup, wontons, and pot stickers only? Or would we also like Schezuan Chicken, Dry-Sauteed String Beans, and Mongolian Beef, too?

Whenever I visited home I'd go to Tsing Tao. I have still not found Hot and Sour Soup that even compares.

So imagine the day that I heard they were closing down. Living in Santa Barbara, I didn't even get to go there to say goodbye and indulge in gallons of my favorite soup. I was heartbroken.

So now it's my turn--I need to make Hot and Sour Soup!! I've tried twice, and it's getting better and better each time. I've created variations that are different from Tsing Tao's recipe. After all, I did not eat everything in that bowl! 

This version is vegetarian. If you choose to add meat (such as pork or chicken) I recommend cooking it first with the ginger, before making the soup itself. If you like egg in yours, lightly stir two eggs then whisk them into the soup and simmer for about 1 minute.

So here we go.

Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients:

2 TB canola oil

4 scallions, minced

1 one inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup bamboo shoots, thinly sliced lengthwise

4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

12 oz. medium-soft tofu, drained and sliced

1 cup Chinese snow peas, thinly sliced 

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/2 TB sugar

1 tsp white pepper

2 tsp sesame oil
*optional: Sriracha* (I used to put it in, but my kids love this soup and can't quite handle that heat yet)

Directions:

1. In a large pot heat the canola oil over medium high heat. Add the bamboo shoots, garlic, ginger, and minced scallions. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

2. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the tofu, snow peas, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar,  white pepper, and 2 tsp. of the sesame oil. Return the soup to a simmer. 

Simmering Soup

*The longer you simmer the soup, the more flavorful the tofu becomes. If you choose to cook this for a long time, wait to add the snow peas until you're a few minutes away from serving the soup. Otherwise the vegetables will get a bit over-done. *

ENJOY!