Hot and Sour Soup

Hot and Sour Soup: The Indo-Chinese Winter Favourite

Byorevia
Prep15 minutes
Cook15 minutes
Serves3
Total30 min
2 min readJump to Recipe ↓

Hot and sour soup is a classic of Chinese cooking, and a common order at Indo-Chinese restaurants in India. The heat comes from pepper, the sour from vinegar, and the body from cornflour and vegetables. It is quick to make and perfect on a cold evening.

In This Guide
  1. Did You Know?
  2. Ingredients
  3. Method
  4. Common Mistakes to Avoid
  5. Storage and Reheating
  6. Quick Answers

Did You Know?

In the original Chinese version, much of the “hot” in hot and sour soup comes from white pepper, not chilli, and the “sour” from vinegar. The Indo-Chinese version popular in India is usually thicker and spicier.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup each: carrot, cabbage, mushrooms, capsicum, all cut in thin strips
  • 100 g tofu, cut into thin strips
  • 3 cups vegetable stock or water
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tbsp chilli sauce
  • 1 tsp ground white or black pepper, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt
  • 2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 1/4 cup water
  • Spring onion greens to finish

Method

  1. Heat oil in a pot. Add garlic and ginger and stir for 10 seconds.
  2. Add the vegetables and cook on high for 2 minutes. Keep them crisp.
  3. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add tofu, soy sauce, chilli sauce, sugar and salt. Simmer for 4 minutes.
  4. Stir the cornflour mixture and pour in slowly while stirring. Cook until the soup thickens slightly.
  5. Switch off the flame. Add vinegar and pepper. Adding vinegar at the end keeps its sourness bright.
  6. Top with spring onions and serve very hot.

Tip: Adjust pepper and vinegar to taste. It should feel hot and sour at the same time.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Adding vinegar too early. Its aroma boils away, so stir it in at the end.
  • Pouring the cornflour slurry in without stirring. The soup forms lumps.
  • Over-thickening. The soup should coat a spoon, not turn to gravy.

Storage and Reheating

It thickens as it sits. Add a splash of water when reheating and adjust vinegar and pepper before serving. Keeps for 2 days in the fridge.

Quick Answers

Why is my soup lumpy?

The slurry was added to rapidly boiling soup without stirring. Lower the heat and pour in slowly while stirring.

Can I make it less spicy?

Yes. Reduce the white pepper and add it at the end.

Written byorevia

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