Vegan Hot and Sour Soup
A vegan version of the eponymous Chinese dish: Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣湯). It is hearty, spicy, and sour - one of my favorite round table dishes to have during Lunar New Year.
Ingredients
- • 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated u0026 thinly sliced
- • 6 pieces dried black fungus (wood ear), rehydrated u0026 thinly sliced
- • 1 liter (4 cups) water (1 cup for soaking mushrooms)
- • 1/2 carrot (40 grams), julienned
- • 200 grams (1/2 block) soft or silken tofu, thinly sliced
- • 1 inch ginger, julienned
- • 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- • 50 grams yuba (tofu skin), pulled apart
- • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- • fresh fresh coriander leaves, for garnish
- • 4 tablespoons cornflour
- • 3 tablespoons water
- • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
- • 4 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar, I used Lee Kum Kee's
- • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, I used Lee Kum Kee's
- • 1 teaspoon white pepper (use 1/2 teaspoon for a less spicy soup)
- • 2 teaspoons mushroom bouillon
Preparation Steps
### Step 1: Prepare the Mushrooms: Lightly rinse dried shiitake mushrooms and dried black fungus to get rid of unwanted grit. Soak them together in a bowl with 1 cup of hot water (I use another bowl to make sure they are submerged) for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Slice them into thin strips.
Prepare the Mushrooms: Lightly rinse dried shiitake mushrooms and dried black fungus to get rid of unwanted grit. Soak them together in a bowl with 1 cup of hot water (I use another bowl to make sure they are submerged) for about 30 minutes, or until tender. Slice them into thin strips.
### Step 2: Preparation the other Ingredients: Prepare carrots, ginger, and spring onions as instructed. Very carefully slice the silken tofu into thin batons (if this is too challenging, you can cut them into small cubes too). Roughly tear the yuba (tofu skin) apart into thin strands.
Preparation the other Ingredients: Prepare carrots, ginger, and spring onions as instructed. Very carefully slice the silken tofu into thin batons (if this is too challenging, you can cut them into small cubes too). Roughly tear the yuba (tofu skin) apart into thin strands.
### Step 3: Prepare the Slurry & Seasoning: In a bowl, whisk together cornflour, water, light soy sauce, darks soy sauce, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together black vinegar, rice vinegar, white pepper, and mushroom bouillon. Note: Make sure the white pepper is very well dissolved. We mix it here with the vinegar as it's prone to clumping when directly added to the soup.
Prepare the Slurry & Seasoning: In a bowl, whisk together cornflour, water, light soy sauce, darks soy sauce, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together black vinegar, rice vinegar, white pepper, and mushroom bouillon. Note: Make sure the white pepper is very well dissolved. We mix it here with the vinegar as it's prone to clumping when directly added to the soup.
### Step 4: Make the Soup: In a pot, add water, mushroom-soaking liquid, ginger, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and black fungus. Bring to a boil over medium heat then carefully add your silken tofu (I lift them up with a knife to avoid breaking them). Give the cornflour slurry a final stir (to make sure the slurry is homogenous), and slowly swirl it into the soup to thicken. Add more cornflour (dissolved in equal parts water) to thicken even more, or add more water if the soup becomes too thick. Once thickened, remove the pot from heat and add the vinegar & white pepper mixture, along with yuba (tofu skin) and spring onions. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Garnish with more spring onions and/or fresh fresh coriander leaves, and drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Serve warm.
Make the Soup: In a pot, add water, mushroom-soaking liquid, ginger, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and black fungus. Bring to a boil over medium heat then carefully add your silken tofu (I lift them up with a knife to avoid breaking them). Give the cornflour slurry a final stir (to make sure the slurry is homogenous), and slowly swirl it into the soup to thicken. Add more cornflour (dissolved in equal parts water) to thicken even more, or add more water if the soup becomes too thick. Once thickened, remove the pot from heat and add the vinegar & white pepper mixture, along with yuba (tofu skin) and spring onions. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt. Garnish with more spring onions and/or fresh fresh coriander leaves, and drizzle with toasted sesame oil. Serve warm.