HOT AND SOUR RECIPES

Steps:

• Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a 2-quart saucepan. Add mushrooms, chicken, soy sauce, chile paste, and garlic. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add tofu, bamboo shoots, vinegar, and white pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
• Combine water and cornstarch in a cup; stir until smooth. Add mixture to the soup and stir well. Let simmer until soup thickens, about 5 minutes more.
• Beat egg in a cup and slowly pour, in a fine stream, into the soup. Stir well and heat through for 30 seconds. Mix in green onions and sesame oil. Remove from heat; serve hot.

Steps:

• Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water, stirring occasionally, until soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and slice into thin strips.
• Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, ground white pepper, and sesame oil together in a small bowl for hot and sour mixture; set aside until needed.
• Whisk cornstarch and water together in another small bowl for slurry; set aside until needed.
• Heat vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, sliced green onions, and shiitake mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring up to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in carrot, red pepper, bamboo shoots, tofu, and the hot and sour mixture. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Raise heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Stir the soup slowly with a spoon while transferring in the beaten eggs in a steady stream to create thin ribbons. Keep stirring until the soup comes back to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
• Stir the cornstarch slurry to make sure it's well blended, then slowly drizzle it into the soup while stirring constantly. Soup should thicken up within 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat, taste for seasoning, and serve.