Hot and Sour Soup

A winter staple soup that’s easy to master

I think the timing for this recipe is perfect, considering the below freezing temperatures we’re putting up with in Chicago. I came home today with a frozen face and hands thinking, what can I eat that will defrost my soul? The first thing that popped in my mind was Hot and Sour Soup.  I didn’t even wait for the chicken to defrost. I just popped it into a pot of water and put the flame on high. That’s how gloriously easy this recipe is. It has heat from the sriracha and pepper, and tang from the vinegar and soy sauce. This truly is a winter wonder, but I find myself making this in the summer as well! 

The secret to balancing the hot and the sour in this soup

The most important thing is any recipe is balance. You need to balance the flavors to create the perfect bite, or sip. I’ve tried this recipe with multiple brands of vinegars and sauces and I think it comes out great every time if you use the measurements below. I recommend using low sodium soy sauce so you have more control over the salt levels in your food.

Tips on how to keep this soup quick

I always have knorr chicken cubes in my pantry. They are a great alternative to homemade chicken stock and work especially great in soups like this hot and sour soup. Another tip is to freeze your chicken in small batches. I prep and divide some of my boneless chicken into smaller batches and freeze in ziplock bags. That way I have a small portion ready to be added to my soup base. Using a coleslaw bag and matchstick carrots is a time saver and I always have these things in my fridge.

Hot and Sour Soup

Sconce&Scone

This is a quick and delicious version of everyone's favorite soup!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine Chinese, Pakistani

Servings 3

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup boneless chicken finely diced
• 1 litre water
• 1 knorr chicken cube or any chicken bouillon cube
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 3 tbsp corn starch
• 3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1 egg beaten

Instructions

 

• In a medium sized sauce pan bring the water to a boil. Then add the chicken cube, chopped chicken and vinegar. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the cabbage, carrots and seasoning. In a small bowl mix the corn starch and water. Add the corn starch slurry into the soup, mixing constantly so no lumps form.
• Add in the soy sauce and sriracha. The egg goes in last. Pour the beaten egg in three batches and do not mix. Let the egg float to the top, then mix. Simmer the soup for a couple minutes ot let th eflavors mix well, then serve hot. Always check for seasoning before serving.

Video

Notes

You can use homemade chicken stock, adjust the salt accordingly. 

If you want to cut the spice level, add half the amount of sriracha. You can replace the sriracha with sambal oelek if you don’t have sriracha. 

Use low sodium soy sauce so you can control the level of sodium in your soup. The chicken cube also has a decent amount of salt in it.

You can refrigerate leftovers.

Keyword Desi Chinese, Hot and Sour Soup, Soup

Have you tried this fool proof soup?

Have you tried this easy and fool proof hot and sour soup recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments below!

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