Hot and Sour Soup (The Easiest Recipe Ever) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

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Hot and Sour Soup - BEST and EASIEST Chinese hot and sour soup recipe ever! Simple ingredients, takes 15 mins and a zillion times better than takeout.

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Hot and Sour Soup (The Easiest Recipe Ever) - Rasa Malaysia (2)

You Asked for It – Hot and Sour Soup!

Many readers have emailed me and requested for Chinese hot and sour soup for the longest time, so I am really excited to be sharing this super easy hot and sour soup recipe that anyone can make at home.

This recipe takes only 15 minutes fromprep to finish and you’ll have a pot of warm, hearty and utterly delicious soup that tastes like it’s straight from your favorite Chinese restaurants.

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For those wondering, “What is hot and sour soup?” You might be wondering what is it made of and what ingredients are in hot and sour soup that actually makes it hot and sour.

Is hot and sour soup health? Yes, absolutely. Try my recipe, it’s only 99 calories!

Other Recipes You Might Like

  • Egg Drop Soup
  • Wonton Soup
  • Miso Soup

Main Ingredients

My recipe is very easy and quick. It calls for a few simple ingredients:

  • Chicken or vegetable stock.
  • Tofu.
  • Eggs.
  • mushrooms.
  • There are two seasonings to bring out the iconic flavors of hot and sour soup: soy sauce and vinegar.
  • If you like it spicy, you can add some dried chili flakes or chili oil into the soup.
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Tips on How to Cook Hot and Sour Soup?

I like Panda Express Hot and Sour Soup so here are the secrets techniques and tips that yield Chinese restaurant’s results:

  • DO NOT USE WHISK. This is the biggest mistake when it comes to making Chinese soups. We do not whisk beaten eggs in the soup. The eggs should form into nice, beautiful and silky pieces. The key is to cook the eggs after the heat is turned off.
  • Gently swirl the beaten eggs into the soup, stir a few times with a pair of chopsticks.
  • Corn starch thickens the soup but do not use too much of it. You want a soup that has a slightly sticky consistency but still runny.
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How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe is only 114 calories per serving.

What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?

For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

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Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup - BEST and EASIEST Chinese hot and sour soup recipe ever! Simple ingredients, takes 15 mins and a zillion times better than takeout!

4.58 from 158 votes

Print

By Bee Yinn Low

Yield 4 people

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 5 minutes mins

Total 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 can chicken broth (preferred) or vegetable broth
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 8 oz (230g) soft tofu, cut into strips
  • 6 oz (230g) white button mushroom, stems trimmed and caps quartered
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons Chinese vinegar (apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar)
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (for coloring purpose)
  • 3 dashes ground white pepper or black pepper
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • 1 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon chopped scallion (optional)

Instructions

  • Add the corn starch and water together, stir to combine well. Set aside.

  • Add the chicken or vegetable broth and water to a medium-sized soup pot on medium heat. Bring it to boil. Add the tofu and white button mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes.

  • Add the soy sauce, vinegar, dark soy sauce, and black pepper. Stir to combine well. Add in the cornstarch mixture, stir continuously to thicken the soup. Turn off the heat.

  • Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup, count to 10, and then use a pair of chopsticks to stir in a clockwise direction, for 3 times. This will form the silken egg threads in the soup that look very pretty. Add the chili oil and chopped scallions, if using.

  • Dish out and serve immediately.

Notes

If you want to add some heat to the soup, you may add some chili oil or a few pinches of dried red chili flakes.

Course: Chinese Recipes

Cuisine: Chinese

Keywords: Hot and Sour Soup

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Hot and Sour Soup

Amount Per Serving (4 people)

Calories 114Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Fat 5g8%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 41mg14%

Sodium 1138mg49%

Carbohydrates 8g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 10g20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

Hot and Sour Soup (The Easiest Recipe Ever) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

What is the broth made of in hot and sour soup? ›

The soup broth

Chinese Hot and Sour soup broth is made with chicken stock which is flavoured with typical Asian ingredients such as soy sauce, sugar, pepper and ginger. The soup is thickened slightly using cornstarch/cornflour – I love how the glossy broth coats the ingredients when you scoop it up!

What are the dark things in hot and sour soup? ›

Wood ear mushrooms - A classic in hot and sour soup! It's got a crunchy texture and sometimes known as black fungus and cloud ear mushroom. Wood ear mushroom is normally sold dry and require rehydrating with hot water before use.

Why does hot and sour soup make you feel better? ›

Consuming hot and sour soup helps in preventing the movement of the white blood cells which are responsible for inflammation. This further helps in providing relief from common health issues like cold, cough, mucus among others.

What makes hot and sour soup gelatinous? ›

Hot from the chili sauce and sour from the rice vinegar. This soup usually has a slightly gelatinous texture due to the added cornstarch or tapioca starch and an abundance of texture from the tofu, vegetables and scrambled egg strands.

What are the main ingredients in Hot and Sour Soup? ›

Hot and Sour Soup
  • 16 cups chicken broth.
  • 2 pork lion chops (on bone)
  • 1 tbsp whiskey.
  • 1/4 cup and 2 tbsp cornstarch, divided.
  • 2 1/2 tbsp sesame oil.
  • 4 1/2 tbsp soy sauce.
  • 1 1/2 tsp white pepper.
  • 1 cup lily flower, dried and rehydrated - this is the dried measurement.
Feb 3, 2024

How do you make sour soup taste better? ›

A little bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to reduce the sourness or. add a little sugar to balance the acid in the tomato. Add a little lemon juice, vinegar or hot sauce and just go with a sour stew.

What is the fungus in hot and sour soup? ›

Dried Chinese black fungus. Dried wood ear, black, cloud, straw or shiitake mushrooms (or one bunch fresh enoki mushrooms)

Is hot and sour soup healthy or bad for you? ›

Key Takeaways: Hot and sour soup is a low-calorie, high-protein dish that's rich in vitamin C and essential minerals. It helps with digestion, boosts metabolism, and supports a healthy immune system.

What are the strings in hot and sour soup? ›

3 eggs – Eggs make the beautiful silky egg ribbons that is a signature of Hot and Sour Soup!

Which Chinese soup is healthiest? ›

Hot and sour soup or egg drop soup

Both soups are low in calories — containing only 65–90 calories per 1-cup (240 mL) serving — and you can make them even healthier by avoiding the fried lo mein noodles that are often offered as a topping ( 2 , 3 ).

Do Chinese people eat hot and sour soup? ›

Hot and sour soup is a popular example of Sichuan cuisine. Similar versions are found in Henan province, near Beijing, and in Henan cuisine itself, where it may also be known as hulatang or "pepper hot soup" (胡辣汤).

Why did my soup turn into jello? ›

When you simmer a fresh chicken — complete with bones, skin, and meat — you extract the collagen from the bones. This collagen in the bones is what is causing your soup to gel. It's completely natural, and it only happens in rich, well-made chicken stock. It can be a little freaky, though, if you're not expecting it!

How do you make hot and sour soup less sour? ›

Mix in a small spoonful of sugar into lighter soups.

If the soup still tastes a bit acidic, stir in another small spoonful of sugar into the dish. This solution works better with dishes that have lighter flavors, like lemon. Don't overdo it! You don't want to make your soup taste extra sweet on accident.

What makes a broth soup? ›

Broth is a thinner liquid and generally made from these ingredients simmering in water for a shorter time, roughly 45 to 120 minutes:
  1. Animal meat and perhaps some animal bones.
  2. Mirepoix.
  3. Aromatics.
  4. Seasonings, which are added after it's strained.
Feb 12, 2024

Why is hot and sour soup thick? ›

Hot, Sour, and Thick

In certain Chinese traditions, hot and sour soup is thickened with blood from either a chicken or a pig. Not only is blood not easy to come by in the US, it's also not high on most folks' lists of "things I love to eat," including mine.

What is hot bone broth? ›

Bone broth is liquid made from boiling animal bones and connective tissue. Chefs use stock as a base for soups, sauces, and gravies. Some people drink it on its own. People have been making bone broth since the beginning of humankind.

What is bone broth soup? ›

Bone broth is a clear soup made from bones (from any animal) with connective tissue and some meat, which are naturally high in collagen, the protein gelatin is derived from. The longer bones are simmered, the greater the concentration of collagen in the broth.

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