Hot and Sour Soup

This soup recipe is adapted from the Martha Stewart Cookbook I raved about a few weeks ago. I promised a friend I'd type it up for her, so I figured I'd share it with you guys, too.

this picture is from this cook, who also adapted this recipe to her liking

Anyway, Alexandre and I made this Japanese-style soup, and he loved it for its fresh mushrooms. I'm not a fan of mushrooms, and the egg mixture was strange for me, but I can see the appeal. And it's vegetarian, if you don't count the egg.

It's a little on the expensive side here in Brazil (tofu and fresh mushrooms, hello?), but this soup is easily freezable so you can get quite a few meals out of it. And, like almost all of the recipes I post, it's pretty easily modifiable. We added in a lot more vegetables, for example.

Hot and Sour Soup

Original Ingredients:

3-4 cups of chicken broth
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
a pinch of red pepper flakes (a.k.a. pimenta calabresa, but this can be any pepper/spice that you like)
One package of fresh shiitake mushrooms with the stems cut off (I found them in the produce section of the supermarket)
1 package of either kind of tofu (I bought mine at the farmer's market! holla!)
3-4 tablespoons of rice vinegar
2 tablespoons of cornstarch
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
green onions, chopped up nice and small

We also added:
broccoli
onions
carrot
celery
peas (we put the whole pod in. it came out nice)

Instructions: 

1. If you're in Brazil, you'll probably need to make your chicken broth first.

2. Now's also a good time to start drying out your tofu.

3. In a large pot, combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, pepper flakes, and 2 cups of water. Boil. (I started with 3 cups of the chicken broth and added the rest later. You may prefer your soup thicker or more watery, so this number is flexible.)

4. Slice the mushrooms into small strips. Add the mushrooms, carrots, and onions. Lower the heat, then simmer for about 10 minutes.

5. Now's a good time to add in the rest of your vegetables (broccoli, celery, and peas, whatever else you want).

6. In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and the cornstarch. Add the mixture to the pot. Simmer and stir until the soup thickens (for about 1 minute).

7. Add in the egg using a slotted spoon. Mix mix mix. Simmer simmer simmer.

8. Add in the ginger. Then chop up your tofu and then add it to the soup, too. Cook for another minute or so.

9. Remove the soup from the heat. Taste the soup to see if you want the rest of the vinegar or not.

10. Sprinkle the green onions on top and enjoy!

The next time we make it, I'll take my own picture, OK? :)