Hot and Sour Soup

This meat-free take on the Chinese takeaway classic gets its heat from white pepper and its sourness from black rice vinegar, balanced over a savoury shiitake broth. Silken tofu and a ribbon of beaten egg give it body, while a cornflour slurry gives that signature glossy, spoon-coating texture.

Real hot and sour soup is about balance, not just chilli. The heat comes from ground white pepper, the sour from dark Chinese vinegar, and both sit on a deep, mushroomy broth thickened to a glossy sheen. This meat-free version skips the pork but keeps every bit of the savoury punch, and it comes together in one pan in about half an hour.

Ingredients

• 15g dried shiitake mushrooms — or 150g fresh, sliced
• 1.2 litres vegetable stock
• 150g firm or silken tofu — cut into thin batons
• 1 medium carrot — cut into fine matchsticks
• 100g tinned bamboo shoots — drained and sliced; optional but traditional
• 3 tbsp black rice vinegar (Chinkiang) — or cider vinegar at a pinch
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce — for colour
• 1 tsp ground white pepper — adjust to taste; this is the heat
• 3 tbsp cornflour — mixed with 4 tbsp cold water
• 1 large egg — beaten; omit for vegan
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 spring onions — finely sliced, to serve

Method

1. If using dried shiitake, cover them with 300ml just-boiled water and soak for 15 minutes until soft. Lift out, squeeze gently, slice thinly and discard any tough stems. Keep the soaking liquid, leaving the gritty last spoonful behind.
2. Pour the stock and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid into a large pan and bring to a gentle boil. Add the sliced shiitake, carrot matchsticks and bamboo shoots, then simmer for 5 minutes until the carrot is just tender.
3. Stir in the light soy, dark soy, black rice vinegar and white pepper. Slide in the tofu batons and simmer for a further 2 minutes, stirring gently so they hold their shape.
4. Give the cornflour and water a stir, then pour it into the simmering soup in a steady stream while stirring. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the broth turns glossy and lightly coats the back of a spoon.
5. Turn the heat right down so the soup is barely moving. Pour the beaten egg in a thin stream around the pan while stirring slowly in one direction to set it into fine ribbons.
6. Take the pan off the heat and stir through the sesame oil. Taste and balance: more vinegar for sharpness, more white pepper for heat, a splash more soy for savouriness.
7. Ladle into bowls and scatter over the spring onions. Serve piping hot with an extra dash of vinegar and pepper at the table.

Serve it with

• Steamed jasmine rice
• Vegetable spring rolls
• Prawn or vegetable dumplings
• Chilli oil for drizzling
• A simple stir-fried pak choi

Why this works

Adding the vinegar and pepper alongside the soy, rather than only at the end, lets their flavours settle into the broth, while finishing off the heat keeps the vinegar's sharpness and the egg's silky ribbons intact.

Common swaps

• Swap shiitake for chestnut mushrooms plus a teaspoon of Marmite in the broth for extra savoury depth
• Use cider vinegar or white rice vinegar with a pinch of sugar if you can't find Chinkiang black vinegar
• Skip the egg and add an extra 50g tofu for a fully vegan bowl
• Add a handful of shredded wood ear mushrooms for the classic springy texture
• Rice noodles turn it into a light main instead of a starter

Common mistakes to avoid

• Boiling hard after adding the egg, which scrambles it into clumps instead of fine ribbons
• Under-seasoning the pepper and vinegar; hot and sour soup should taste boldly of both
• Adding the cornflour dry, which makes lumps, always slake it with cold water first
• Letting it sit too long before serving, as the cornflour thins and the freshness fades

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days in a sealed container. The broth will thicken as it cools and the tofu softens.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a pan, loosening with a splash of stock or water, and stop before it boils to keep the egg tender.

Allergen notes: contains Soya, Egg, Sesame, Gluten. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.