Hot and Sour Soup

  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • 4 ounces dried sliced shitakes
  • 8 ounces canned bamboo shoots
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce
  • 2 tablespoons ground white pepper
  • 1/2 pound baked tofu
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 4 chopped scallions
  • 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves

Cover the mushrooms with water in a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the mushrooms soak for thirty minutes.

Drain and roughly chop the mushrooms and add them to the stock in a latge pot. Add the bamboo shoots, drained and sliced, ang with the vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, chili paste, and white pepper. Cook the soup over low heat for 5 minutes.

Slice the tofu and add to the soup. Dissolve the corn starch in 1/4 cup of soup, stir back into the pot, and cook several minutes to thicken. Beat the eggs and drizzle into the soup, stirring and cooking. Top with the scallions and coriander and serve.