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Hot and Sour Soup: Spicy Bowl Of Comfort

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Although Hot and Sour Soup is not an Italian recipe — it’s a great soup to make during this cold weather. Not only is it good for when we feel under the weather, it’s a bowl of cheer any time of year. Its warmth comforts while the broth’s peppery spice heats you from the inside out. Hot and sour soup is on practically every Chinese takeout menu and buffet. But this recipe is a million times better than what you get from a restaurant. Take a sip, instant gratification. This recipe has been updated from the original February 2015 version in order to provide a better experience for our readers. Last update March 2019.

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For this recipe you’ll need: chicken breasts, chicken stock, celery, green onions, Chinese chili sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, dried black mushrooms, rice vinegar, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, Chinese egg noodles, cornstarch, eggs (optional).

Two triangular white bowls filled with hot and sour soup and sprinkled with green onion rings.

Hot and Sour Soup is light in taste

The chicken broth makes our Hot and Sour Soup a very light soup, and it’s the Asian chili sauce (sambal oelek) that gives it a spicy punch.

We enjoy this soup often throughout the year.  We certainly don’t wait for just cold weather.

Minestra – soup was a staple in our household, and today both my Honey and I still derive a great deal of satisfaction from making and eating soup.

Whoever makes soup knows that it is practically impossible to make a small batch. By the time you put a little of this and a little of that into it, you’ve got a pot-full.

Hot and Sour Soup Ingredients @allourway.com

Hot and Sour Soup Ingredients

Inexpensive ingredients make up the soup

You don’t need a lot of fancy expensive ingredients for this soup. Most of the items you can purchase in the grocery store.

Collage of first four steps in making Hot Sour Soup

1. Add veggies. 2. Water Chestnuts and bamboo shoots. 3. Add Soy Sauce. 4. Rice Vinegar.

If you have an Asian market nearby, you can find the ingredients even cheaper there.

As you can see we prepare the ingredients ahead of time — it’s so much easier because you don’t have to measure, dice or search for an ingredient.

Collage of steps 5-8 for hot and sour soup.

5. Hot sauce. 6. Sugar. 7. Chicken Stock. 8. Black Mushrooms rehydrating in stock.

Hot and Sour Soup is a spicy comfort food

We’ve mentioned this a time or twenty — we like spicy and hot!!

Steps 9-12 for making Hot and Sour soup.

9. Dice extra firm tofu. 10. Shred chicken and slice rehydrated black mushrooms. 11. Add mushrooms to soup. 12. Add shredded chicken to soup.

This soup is a little deceptive when you take your first sip. The kick of the heat hits after you swallow. You may have to mop your brow a bit, but it is oh so good you won’t want to stop eating.

Collage of the easy steps 13-16 for Hot and sour Soup.

13. Make a slurry. 14. Add noodles to soup. 15. Add extra-firm tofu to soup. 16. Mix well.

You can add less of the Asian chili sauce. It all depends on your heat tolerance. 🙂  This is a great recipe to make your way. We love trying new and different dishes — do you??

Mangiare è un’avventura — Eating is an adventure.

Collage of steps 17-18 Hot and sour soup.

17. Add slurry to soup and simmer a few minutes. 18. Plate and serve the hot and sour soup.

If you enjoy this soup you’ll like these recipes

Chop Suey Like Mom Used To Make

Stracciatella Italian Egg Drop Soup

Gnocchi in Brodo

These recipes are classics at our house.

Tutti a tavola è pronto! 

Un caro saluto e alla prossima.

Here’s a step by step video on Hot And Sour Soup

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Collage of Hot sour soup in a large dutch oven and the ingredients below the picture.


Two white triangular bowls filled with hot and sour soup. Gray teapot in background with two chopsticks.

Hot and Sour Soup Happiness in a Bowl

Hot And Sour Soup: Spicy Bowl Of Comfort

Just take one whiff of this soup and it will immediately make you feel warm and happy. It has a light chicken broth as its base and it's so easy to make. You may adapt this recipe to your liking and you may just want to make a double batch to have on hand. You can freeze it, just follow the recipe notes. There may be no miracle cures for what ails us but this soup sure comes close.

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Two triangular white bowls filled with hot and sour soup and sprinkled with green onion rings.

Hot and Sour Soup - All Our Way

This soup is a spicy comfort food that you can adapt to your taste. The Asian flavor comes from the dark sesame oil and rice vinegar while the heat comes from the Asian chili sauce (sambal oelek)
5 from 13 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: main dish, Soup
Cuisine: Asian, Chinese
Keyword: comfort food, light soup, soup for colds
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 164kcal
Author: Marisa Franca @ All Our Way

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless chicken breasts or use rotisserie chicken breasts shredded
  • 2 quarts + 3 cups chicken stock
  • 3 stalks celery diced
  • 5 green onions sliced including the green diced
  • 2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce like sambal oelek
  • 2 Tablespoons dark sesame oil
  • 6 Tablespoons soy sauce divided
  • 4 pinches white pepper
  • 3/4 Tablespoon sugar may use honey
  • 8 dried black mushrooms -- more if you like. Slice once they have been softened.
  • 4 Tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
  • 1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
  • 1 nest Asian egg noodles
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 8 oz. Tofu cubed extra firm
  • 2 eggs optional

Instructions

  • Cook the 2 chicken breasts in 2 cups of chicken broth letting the breasts gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. Let cool then shred with fork. Save the chicken broth to add to the soup. If you use rotisserie chicken breasts, shred them and add the 2 cups of broth to the overall liquid. 
  • Mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, set aside.
  • Soak black mushrooms for 20 minutes in 1 cup of chicken stock. I use a French press to keep the mushroom submerged in the liquid.
  • In a Dutch oven or deep pot sauté the diced celery in the 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil until soft. Add the green onions and sauté for 15 seconds. Add the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. 
  • Add 4 Tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, chili paste, and sugar. Stir together.  Now pour in the chicken stock and reserved liquids into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes. 
  • Add the sliced black mushrooms, shredded chicken and let the soup come to a simmer again. Simmer about 5 minutes. Add the tofu. Stir in the cornstarch soy sauce mixture along with the Asian egg noodles nest. Simmer for 2 minutes.
  • If you want eggs beat them with 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Whisking with fork, pour into the simmering soup in a fine stream. 
    Garnish with a little green onion when serving. 

Notes

  • We like our soup spicy but you can increase or decrease the seasonings to your taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 164kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 773mg | Potassium: 323mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 3.2% | Vitamin C: 2.4% | Calcium: 4.5% | Iron: 7.3%

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Comments


  3. This looks like the perfect soup to warm up with while winter lingers on a bit longer. I also think it would be superb to make when you’ve got the sniffles because it has a lovely broth and a kick of spice from the chili sauce. Great recipe, Marisa!

    Reply


  4. This looks like a dish my family will enjoy…..We love Asian food. Plan to add ingredients to my grocery list….Thanks, Marisa

    Reply

  7. Hot and sour is a such a great soup and one that doesn’t get nearly enough attention. I don’t get to order it too often but I love that I can now make it at home. Homemade is better anyway 😉

    Reply


  8. You made a perfect hot and sour soup, I like the addition of sambal oleak . it is staple in my house, I like to add to most of the recipes. The tofu in the soup makes it filling one.

    Reply


  10. I have never had a hot and sour spicy soup like this before. This looks so tasty and easy to make. I think my kids would love this. They love spicy food. You always come up with lovely recipes

    Reply

  11. This is my hubby’s favourite soup to order from our local Chinese take-out. It will be perfect for the cooler weather days ahead, and give me bonus points for being a good wife!

    Reply

  14. This is one delicious looking soup Marisa. It’s so healthy too. I love the Asian flavors and my hubby is a fan too. Can’t wait to try this.

    Reply


  15. I love hot and sour soup. My mom often made it and we loved it as kids. My kids, unfortunately, do not fancy it. I must try this recipe. Love the flavors you have in this recipe. Sounds like a perfect comfort soup.

    Reply


  16. This soup always draws my eye when we’re out to eat … I never considered making it at home. Why Not?! Thanks for sharing a recipe that I can use to satisfy some cravings.

    Reply


  18. My elder one and husband love this kind of hot and sour soup and I can really do with a big bowlful right now. I usually don’t add noodles but now you have given me the idea to do so!

    Reply


  19. I have never tried hot and sour soup before. I see in on menus all the time, but know I think I really need to give this a try. With comfort food season next in line…this would be the perfect time to experiment with this.

    Reply

  22. I love hot and sour soup, my husband isn’t much of a spicy fan, but if it’s cold outside, he will give anything hot a go 🙂 Looks delicious!

    Reply

  30. Yum!! We LOVE soups, and this soup recipe was posted just in time! Our weather here in NW Indiana has been in the “minus” columns the last day or two. We need soup, especially spicy hot soup, to warm us up! Thanks, Marisa! This will be my project for tomorrow!

    Reply

  31. This is a great soup and one you can make at home. It is our favorite Chinese soup to order but we do not have good Chinese restaurants in our area. I have made this soup a few times and your post reminds me it is time to make it again. This time I will use your recipe.

    Reply

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