Chinese
Hot and Sour Soup
Pork tenderloin, tofu, and mushrooms simmer in a peppery vinegar broth, and beaten egg is streamed in at the end. The pork is held at 145°F for 3 minutes so the strips are fully cooked.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
Why you’ll love it
- White pepper and vinegar go in at the end so they stay sharp.
- A cornstarch slurry gives the soup its familiar body.
- Pork matchsticks cook through in the simmer without a separate fry.
- Eggs set into ribbons when the broth is hot but not at a rolling boil.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Bring the chicken broth, soy sauce, and ginger to a simmer in a pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the pork tenderloin. Keep the broth at a gentle simmer until the matchsticks reach 145°F, then hold them there for 3 minutes so they are fully cooked.
- 3
Add the tofu, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. Simmer 5 minutes.
- 4
Stir the cornstarch with the water and whisk it into the soup. Simmer 1 minute until slightly thickened.
- 5
Stir in the vinegar, white pepper, and salt. Reduce the heat so the soup is steaming but not boiling hard.
- 6
Drizzle in the beaten eggs while stirring slowly so they set into ribbons. Take the pot off the heat, add the sesame oil and scallions, and serve.
Pro tips
- Add the vinegar off a hard boil or the sour note cooks away.
- White pepper is the heat in this soup; black pepper is not the same.
- Use firm tofu so the cubes do not crumble.
Easy substitutions
- pork tenderloin
- chicken breast strips, cooked to 165°F
- rice vinegar
- white vinegar
- shiitake mushrooms
- cremini mushrooms
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm on the stovetop until the pork is hot and at least 145°F without boiling hard, so the egg does not toughen.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 218
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop · Dairy-Free
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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