Easy Chinese Hot and Sour Soup (Suan La Tang)

Ingredients

• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 15 g wood ear mushrooms
• 15 g dried lily flower
• 112 g pork loin
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 112 g soft tofu (cut into thin strips)
• 28 g canned bamboo shoots slices (cut into thin strips)
• 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 1 egg (beaten with a fork)
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper (or more to taste)
• 3 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar (or more to taste)
• cilantro leaves (finely chopped)
• 2 stalks green onion (finely chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- Things to prepare before you start cooking: ---

2. 2

   Soak mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms separately in bowls of hot water until they are soft and plump. Cut into thin strips

3. 3

   Cut the tofu, canned bamboo shoots into thin strips

4. 4

   Cut pork into thin strips and combined with soy sauce and cornstarch

5. 5

   Combine ingredients for seasonings in a bowl and set aside

6. 6

   --- Start cooking: ---

7. 7

   Put chicken stock in a pot and bring to a simmer. Add the shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo strips, and dried lily flowers. Bring it back to a gentle simmer

8. 8

   Add the pork strips and stir gently to prevent the pieces from clumping together. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes

9. 9

   Give the seasonings ingredients you mixed earlier a good stir. Gradually drizzle in the seasonings as you keep stirring the soup on the other hand.

10. 10

    The mixture will thicken and become glossy

11. 11

    Add the tofu slices and cook for another 30 seconds.

12. 12

    Gradually drizzle in the beaten egg while stirring at the same time to create that smooth "flower" effect on the soup. Cook for another 30 seconds

13. 13

    Add the ground white pepper and black vinegar. Turn off the heat and give it a good stir.

14. 14

    --- To serve: ---

15. 15

    Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and chopped green onion. Serve warm