Name: Hot and Sour Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Cabbage, finely shredded; 2 tbsp Carrot, finely julienned or chopped; 3 Mushroom, button mushrooms, finely sliced; 2 tbsp Tofu, or paneer, cut into tiny cubes; 1 tsp Ginger, finely minced; 1 tsp Garlic, finely minced; 3 cup Water, or vegetable stock for richer flavor; 1½ tbsp Dark Soy Sauce; 2 tbsp Vinegar; 1 tbsp Red Chilli Sauce; ¾ tsp Ground White Pepper, crucial for the 'hot' flavor; ½ tsp Salt, to taste; 2 tbsp Corn Flour, mixed with water for slurry; 2 tbsp Spring Onion Greens, chopped, for garnish; 1 tbsp Cooking Oil

30 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

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Method

Heat the oil in a wok or deep pan on high heat. Add the minced ginger and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds.
Add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté for a minute until they shrink slightly.
Add the cabbage and carrots. Stir-fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes.
1–2 min
Pour in the water (or vegetable stock) and let it come to a boil.
Add the dark soy sauce, vinegar, red chilli sauce, white pepper powder, and salt. Mix well.
Drop in the tiny tofu or paneer cubes. Simmer for 2 minutes.
2 min
Stir the cornflour slurry and pour it slowly into the soup, stirring constantly until the soup thickens to your desired consistency.
Boil for 1 more minute. Taste and adjust the vinegar (for sourness) or white pepper (for heat) if needed.
Turn off the heat, garnish with the spring onion greens, and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

The soup should be thick, deeply flavorful, and spicy-tangy, with soft tofu and slightly crunchy vegetables.

Getting it right

Tip

The unique heat of this soup comes from white pepper, not chillies! Adjust the vinegar and pepper at the very end to strike the perfect hot and sour balance.

What to serve it with

Serve steaming hot on a rainy evening or as a classic appetizer before noodles or fried rice.

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