Hot & Sour Vegetable Soup

 

Here is a incredible soup that can never be passed on a cold day. This is a go-to when you're wanting to warm up. It just puts a big smile on your face after having a bowl or two.
This is one of my all-time favorites that you all have to try out. I know you will enjoy this just as much or even more than me.
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Hot & Sour Vegetable Soup

Serves: 4 to 6

Ingredients:
6 pcs dried black mushrooms
3 pcs dried cloud ear, rehydrated
1/2 pc bamboo shoot,
1/4 pc carrot
1/4 pc soft tofu,
2-3 slices of ginger
1 tsp finely chopped coriander, optional

Soup:
3 cups mushroom stock
1 tsp oil
1 1/2 tsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp black vinegar (Chekiang type)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp chili bean sauce
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 of a large egg or 1 small egg, beaten
1/4 tsp sesame oil
corn starch paste for thickening (corn starch : water = 1 tsp : 2 tsp)

Method
To prepare the mushrooms stock, first rinse 6 pieces of dried black mushrooms, then soak them in 3 cups of water overnight. Squeeze water from mushrooms and reserve water from soaking. Remove and discard stems (retain 3 mushrooms for this soup and reserve the remaining for other uses, like making noodles or stir fries). Since no meat stock is used, I have soaked more mushrooms (6 pieces) for making the soup. But if you are adding in some pork or beef slices, probably you would only need 3 mushrooms.
Julienne ginger, carrot and bamboo shoot, thinly slice mushrooms, tofu, and cloud ear. It would be harder to cut a cloud ear into slivers if it is laid flat as a sheet. Yet, when it is curled into a roll, slicing will be easier, even into very thin shreds. Admittedly, I love every ingredient to be shredded as thin as possible.

As all ingredients are julienned, heat pot over medium heat with a tea spoon of oil. Sauté ginger until fragrant. Toss in mushrooms, carrot, bamboo shoot, and cloud ears. Stir them for a while, 1 to 2 minutes, then pour in stock. Bring it to a boil, then gently lay in tofu, Season with vinegar, salt, soy sauce, chili bean paste, white pepper, and thicken with corn starch paste. Stir to avoid any lumps.

As soon as the liquid thickened to your liking, turn heat to the lowest, use a spatula spoon to lay a thin layer of beaten egg over the soup. Doing such than pouring in the egg is to avoid it sinking to the bottom and forming lumps. Then, quickly stir the egg juice in swirls so as to create feather-like patterns. Sprinkle in sesame oil; garnish with coriander. Serve hot.