CHINES HOT AND SOUR SOUP

CHINES HOT AND SOUR SOUP

Ingredients:
6 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 package of firm tofu
1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots
1/4 lb. boneless pork
1 quart chicken stock, fresh or canned
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
3 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 TBSP. cold water
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sesame seed oil
1 scallion, finely chopped

Preparation:
Place the mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Meanwhile, add the chicken stock, salt, and soy sauce to a soup pot and bring to a boil. While waiting for the liquid to heat up, slice the bamboo in thin matchsticks and trim the fat off the pork and cut it in strips 1/2 inch long and 1/4 inch thick. Remove the mushrooms from the hot water; put the mushroom water in the soup pot. Slice the mushrooms thinly. Add the bamboo, mushrooms, and pork to the now-boiling soup. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 3 minutes.

Use about half the block of tofu - you want about 3/4 cup of tofu sliced in matchsticks. Add the tofu, pepper, and vinegar to the pot. Bring to a boil again. Add the cornstarch mixed with water to the pot, and stir until the mixture is thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the egg, stirring gently.

Ladle the hot soup in bowls and garnish with a teaspoon of sesame oil and some chopped scallions.

Adjustments:
This could easily be made vegetarian or vegan by substituting dashi or vegetable broth for the chicken stock and omitting the pork and/or the egg.

If you want more sourness, try another tablespoon of vinegar.

If you want it even thicker, try another tablespoon of corn starch mixed with water.