Gray Saturday Perfect For Hot & Sour Soup

I just love soup. When it is gray and gloomy, it is a day to just hunker down and nap, read, relax and have some great soup. Last night Jeff was over and we had cocktails and then some Chinese food. When I placed the order I had a bright moment and went ahead and ordered a quart of Shanghai Garden's Hot & Sour Soup. Can we just all agree YUM! It was a delight to enjoy with nothing more than a glass of water. Below is a recipe for the soup I snagged off the Internet. See why I buy it made. I would not be patient to make it all. But oh it is so good. Funny how you can go to another restaurant and it changes. Here in Seattle there is a place called Snappy Dragon and their soup is much more country style. But still just as enjoyable. Happy Saturday to all.
Hot and sour soup is reputed to be good for colds. To increase the health benefits, feel free to add 2 or 3 teaspoons of finely chopped ginger.

Hot and Sour Soup, let's get it going...

Serves 4
Ingredients:
•1 cake tofu (fresh, if possible)
•2 ounces pork tenderloin
•Marinade:
•1 teaspoon soy sauce
•1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
•1 teaspoon tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
•Other:
•1/2 cup bamboo shoots
•2 tablespoons black fungus (Wood Ear) or Cloud Ear fungus
•(or 3 - 4 Chinese dried black mushrooms or fresh mushrooms)
•1 small handful dried lily buds
•6 cups water (or 6 cups water and 1 cup Campbell's chicken broth)*
•1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
•1 teaspoon granulated sugar
•2 tablespoons soy sauce
•2 tablespoons red rice vinegar, white rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar
•1 teaspoon sesame oil
•1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
•1 egg, beaten
•1 green onion, finely chopped
•White pepper to taste (no more than 1 tablespoon)
•Hot chili oil, to taste, optional

Preparation:

Shred pork. Mix marinade ingredients and marinate pork for 20 minutes.

Cut tofu into small squares. Cut bamboo shoots into thin strips and then into fine slices. To reconstitute the fungus, soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Rinse, and cut into thin pieces. (If substituting Chinese dried mushrooms, soak to soften, then cut off the stems and cut into thin strips. If using fresh mushrooms, wipe clean with a damp cloth and slice.)

To reconstitute the dried lily buds, soak in hot water for 20 minutes or until softened. Cut off the hard ends.

Bring the water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the bamboo shoots, fungus or mushrooms, and the lily buds. Stir. Add the tofu. Bring back to a boil and add the marinated pork.
Stir in the salt, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar and sesame oil.
Test the broth and adjust the taste if desired. (If using chicken broth, you may want to add a bit more rice vinegar).

Mix the cornstarch and water. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring while it is being added. Let the broth come back to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove the broth from the stove.

Slowly drop in the beaten egg, stirring in one direction at the same time. Add the green onion and the white pepper to taste. Drizzle with chili oil if desired. Serve hot.

(Hot and Sour Soup can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. When making the soup, leave out the tofu. When ready to serve, thaw, add the tofu and bring to boiling. When the soup is boiling, add the egg.)

*Adjust the ratio of water to chicken stock as desired.