This Hot and Sour Soup is just like you’d find in a Chinese food restaurant… and it’s low fat, too!
It has been super cold in Arizona this week. And by Arizona standards, that means we’re waking up to temperatures in the mid-thirties… and the highs during the day in only the mid 50’s. That may sound like heavenly winter weather to people in the colder parts of the world (and it is). But we’re just not used to it! Chilly days require soup to warm us up. This Hot and Sour Soup is the perfect solution, especially if you’re trying to eat light.
You may wish to purchase these items to go with your soup:
- Asian Soup Bowls: these are so pretty! And bonus that you can use them for salad or pasta too.
- Asian Soup Spoons: If you have Asian bowls, then you must have Asian soup spoons to go with them!
Hot and Sour Soup is a classic Asian soup recipe. You can probably spot it on just about any Chinese restaurant menu. It contains ingredients to make it taste both spicy and sour.
How to make Sweet and Sour Soup:
Dried mushrooms are hydrated with hot water. Then you’ll combine chicken broth, rice, vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and dark sesame oil and bring that to a boil. Then you’ll add the mushrooms, tofu and bamboo shoots. To thicken the soup, you’ll add a cornstarch/water mixture. And a beaten egg white is swirled in at the end. That’s it!
About Tofu:
This recipe calls for using reduced-fat soft tofu. Tofu is low in calories and has a lot of protein. It’s usually added to Chinese Hot and Sour Soup, so I wouldn’t skip it. Tofu doesn’t really have much flavor. It absorbs the flavors that are in the dish. The photo above shows the tofu in larger chunks, but I prefer it cut into small cubes for this soup.
Is this soup Weight Watchers friendly?
Absolutely! This is a nice, light soup recipe. And it’s a great soup recipe to try if you’re on the Weight Watchers WW plan. You’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card at the end of this post. The recipe makes enough for 4 servings, so just divide it into four equal portions.
Here are a few more soup recipes you might like to try:
- Chicken Tortilla Sausage Soup
- Loaded Potato Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Wild Rice, Mushroom and Sausage Soup
- Rigatoni Meatball Soup
- Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Thai Coconut Chicken Soup
Hot and Sour Soup
Ingredients
- 6 whole dried mushrooms
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- 8 ounces reduced-fat soft tofu, drained and cut into ½-inch cubes
- One 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, drained and thinly sliced
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 large egg white, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- chopped green onions for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the dried mushrooms with enough hot water to cover by 2 inches; let stand 15 minutes, and then drain.
- In a large saucepan, bring the broth, vinegar, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce and sesame oil to a boil. Add the drained mushrooms, tofu and bamboo shoots. Reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir in about ¼-cup of the hot liquid, and then return to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat; slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the soup while stirring in a circular motion. Serve immediately.
Notes
- This recipe is gluten-free adaptable- just be sure to use brands of chicken broth, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce that are known to be GF.
- For ease in preparing mushrooms, place water in pyrex cup and heat in microwave. Then add mushrooms and soak.
- For vegetarian, sub vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this recipe. I added some grated carrot for colour and a 1/2 tsp. of grated ginger. It was delicious.
This was amazing ! Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve loved hot and sour soup my whole life but can’t find anyone that makes it good where we live. I will never order it out again. I used fresh mushrooms and added bean sprouts and some shredded carrot. 💥 thanks again 🙂
This is the best hot and sour soup, EVER!!!! TY TY. I added carrot strips and peas.. So Good..
Are the mushrooms sliced? If yes, before or after rehydrating?
You don’t need to slice them, but if you do… do so after rehydrating.
awesome
This hot and sour soup recipe is so good and easy to make. I used Manjo Aji-Mirin that I bought from Karman Foods; the whole fam enjoyed it.
What kind of dried mushrooms? How much total?
I usually use dried shiitake mushrooms, but you can use any. The recipe calls for 6 whole dried mushrooms.
I thought this was delicious! I’m so glad I doubled it. I will never be able to eat it from a restaurant again. Thank you for sharing. I’m making it again tomorrow.
I made this recipe yesterday. I did not have dried mushrooms available so I used fresh shitake and buttons. I also didn’t use the egg just because of personal preference. I loved it!! The only thing I will do next time is double the recipe! Thanks.
This sounds delicious. I will definitely make this, but what chili garlic sauce
Look for it in the Asian section of your market.
Sambal Olek is a great brand and usually at most super markets.
I think it needs white pepper.
Okay!