What comes to your mind when you see or hear the words "hot and sour soup"?
Most probably the Chinese soup you had as a starter in a Chinese restaurant right?
Actually, it is a generic descriptive name for a soup that is both spicy and sour at the same time. For example, tom yam is a Thai-styled hot and sour soup. Because of the widespread popularity of the Chinese version, it has become synonymous with the term.
The Chinese version started out as a common family soup from the Szechuan 四川 (Si chuan) province in China. It became popular because it is a winner on all fronts.
It has complex taste. Sour, spicy and savory all at the same time. It has interesting texture. Smooth, slightly thickened and crunchy. It has winning look. Colorful with a tinge of gloss.
It makes a great appetizer as the palate is stimulated or awakened by its spiciness and tartness. It warms the stomach and preps the palate for the food coming after. In a chinese banquet, a variation of a hot and sour soup is usually served as the first dish.
The slightly thickened consistency adds to its charm. It also helps cut down the greasiness of a meal and aids digestion.
The soup can be complicated or simple. It can be extravagant or common. It all depends on the ingredients used. Common ingredients include tofu, meat strips, bamboo shoot, carrot and egg.
Make it yourself
You may have never tried making hot and sour soup because you thought it looks difficult. Or you have tried but it tasted bland. It is actually not difficult to wow your palate and those belonging to friends and family with this soup.
I am going to let you in on a few secrets on how to make this delicious pot of soup.
Secret No. 1 - Use a soup stock
Do not use water to make hot and sour soup. To those who cook often, this might not seem like a secret. But I have come across so many friends who did not know that they should use a soup stock until I told them.
You can make a chicken or vegetable stock from scratch or buy ready-made ones or use stock cubes.
If only water is used, there isn't enough time for the ingredients to impart any flavor to the soup. This is the major cause of soup blandness.
Secret No. 2 - Use natural vinegar
Do not use cheap white vinegar to make this soup. It tastes horrible. This is from personal experience. I tried it once when I was still a poor student and budget-conscious. I did not know that the cheap white vinegar sold in supermarkets is not made from natural ingredients.
Rice vinegar is preferred and I like the dark ones because it adds a tinge of sweetness and has a more earthy tone.
Do not add the vinegar too early in the cooking process. Overcooking dulls the sharpness of the vinegar. Best to add it last.
Secret No.3 - Thicken soup first before egg drop
This sequence is important. Soup thickening requires constant stirring to prevent lumping. If egg was added first, you wouldn't be able to create visible streaks. It would be too broken and also overcooked.
To create nice egg streaks, guide the egg into the soup with a fork or a pair of chopsticks instead of pouring free hand. You can stream the egg in a circular motion over the soup. Let it stand for a while to set. Then, gently stir the soup to create the streaks.
You do not have to maintain a constant stream of beaten egg. You can stop pouring or streaming. Some people add the egg one spoonful at a time. Do that if you want more control but do turn off the heat first.
Secret No. 4 - Thickening is an art
There is no exact amount with using cornstarch. Adjust the amount of cornstarch mixture needed. If in doubt, add less and check. It is easier to add more cornstarch mixture to soup.
Secret No. 5 - Cut ingredients into similar sizes
Almost all the ingredients in a chinese hot and sour soup require a fair bit of cutting like shredding and dicing. Use the mandoline if necessary.
The beauty of this soup is when you can taste all the different ingredients in one spoonful.
Quick and easy
Are there times when you just aren't up to cooking yet crave the comfort of a hot and sour soup?
Or you are not up to stocking your larder with too many Chinese condiments.
Or worse! You ran out!
May I recommend stocking up the following:
Asian Home Gourmet Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup, No MSG, 1.75-Ounce Pouch (Pack of 12)
This pre-packed soup mix is really easy to use. There are instructions on the back of the packet.
It comes in 50g vacuum-packed pouch.
No added monosodium glutamate, preservatives and artificial colors.
The salt level is a bit high which is quite normal for processed food items. As long as you eat in moderation, I think it is handy to have a small stash of this soup packs in your larder for rainy days.
Are you ready to cook?
Here are a few hot and sour soup recipes to get you started.
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