Description
Bring bold flavors to your bowl with this Classic Hot and Sour Soup—a Chinese restaurant favorite that you can now make easily at home. This recipe is warm, comforting, and packed with flavor thanks to the savory broth, tofu, mushrooms, and a perfect balance of vinegar and white pepper. Whether you’re looking for a quick dinner, a healing soup during cold season, or simply crave something tangy and spicy, this is the ultimate soup idea to keep in your rotation. It’s one of those easy recipes that delivers depth with every spoonful—perfect for those who love food ideas with both kick and comfort.
Ingredients
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup sliced mushrooms (wood ear or shiitake)
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green peas
1 cup firm tofu, cubed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons water (for slurry)
Instructions
1. Slice mushrooms and carrots; cube the tofu. Soak dried mushrooms if using.
2. In a medium pot, bring broth, soy sauce, mushrooms, carrots, and tofu to a simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add rice vinegar and white pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Mix cornstarch with water to form a slurry, stir into the soup, and cook until slightly thickened.
5. Lower heat, drizzle in the beaten eggs slowly while stirring to form ribbons.
6. Stir in green peas, cook for another minute, and remove from heat.
7. Serve hot with optional toppings like green onions or sesame oil.
Notes
Use white pepper for the authentic sharp heat—black pepper won’t deliver the same flavor.
The soup thickens as it sits, so add extra broth when reheating if needed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 130
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 730mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 9g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: hot and sour soup, easy recipe, quick dinner, healthy soup, vegetarian soup