Authentic Hot and Sour Soup (PoPo’s Classic Recipe)
This Authentic Hot and Sour Soup is a traditional Chinese style soup made with chicken broth, tender pork strips, dried shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, lily flowers, bamboo shoots, tofu, and egg whites. It’s finished with vinegar for tang and thickened slightly with a cornstarch slurry. Serve it over rice for the ultimate comfort meal.
Rehydrate shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and lily flowers in separate bowls of cold water for 2 to 3 hours. Once plump, rinse each one under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain.
In a large stock pot, bring chicken broth and pork bones to a boil over medium-high heat.
Slice pork into strips. Mix with whiskey, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and a small splash of water until smooth. Let marinade until the chicken broth comes to a boil.
Add pork to boiling broth along with sesame oil, soy sauce, and white pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
Slice the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and give the rehydrated wood ear mushrooms a rough chop. Add lily flowers, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and green onions. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove lid and make sure soup is boiling. Stir in a circular motion and slowly pour in egg whites while stirring to create ribbons.
Add tofu strips, cover, and simmer 5 more minutes.
Stir in vinegar and remove pork bones.
Mix remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch with water to form a slurry. Stir into soup to thicken. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
Serve hot over rice and garnish with green onions.
