Chinese Hot-and-Sour Soup

Name: Chinese Hot-and-Sour Soup
Prep time: 1 d 1 h
Cook time: 1 d 1 h
Total time: 1 d 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Chinese, Asian
Ingredients: 118 milliliters canned sliced bamboo shoots*, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide strips (from an 8-oz can); 142 grams boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips (2/3 cup); 2 Tbsps fresh whole cilantro leaves; 2 Tbsps cornstarch; 12 smalls dried tree ear mushrooms; 2 larges eggs; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 Tbsp light soy sauce; 946 milliliters reduced-sodium chicken broth; 4 smalls Chinese dried black mushrooms; 2 Tbsps peanut oil; 2 Tbsps red-wine vinegar; 2 Tbsps rice vinegar (not seasoned); 2 Tbsps thinly sliced scallion greens; 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil; 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce; 2 teaspoons sugar; 85 grams firm tofu (about a quarter of a block), rinsed and drained, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips; 2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper; 12 dried lily buds* (sometimes called golden needles)

Chinese Hot-and-Sour Soup requires roughly 25 hours from start to finish. One portion of this dish contains about 18g of protein, 12g of fat, and a total of 318 calories. For $2.96 per serving, you get a main course that serves 6. It is perfect for Autumn. It is a good option if you're following a gluten free and dairy free diet. This recipe is typical of Chinese cuisine. Head to the store and pick up soy sauce, mushrooms, asian sesame oil, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the red wine vinegar you could follow this main course with the Cherry-Berry Pie as a dessert.

Instructions

Toss pork with dark soy sauce in a bowl until pork is well coated.

Ingredients you will need

Dark Soy Sauce

Pork

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Soak black and tree ear mushrooms in 3 cups boiling-hot water in another bowl (water should cover mushrooms), turning over black mushrooms occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes. (Tree ears will expand significantly.)

Ingredients you will need

Mushrooms

Water

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Cut out and discard stems from black mushrooms, then squeeze excess liquid from caps into bowl and thinly slice caps.

Ingredients you will need

Mushrooms

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Remove tree ears from bowl, reserving liquid, and trim off any hard nubs. If large, cut tree ears into bite-size pieces. Stir together 1/4 cup mushroom-soaking liquid (discard remainder) with cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Corn Starch

Mushrooms

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Meanwhile, soak lily buds in about 1 cup warm water until softened, about 20 minutes, then drain. Trim off tough tips of lily buds.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Cut lily buds in half crosswise, then tear each half lengthwise into 2 or 3 shreds.

Cover bamboo shoots with cold water by 2 inches in a small saucepan, then bring just to a boil (to remove bitterness) and drain in a sieve.

Ingredients you will need

Bamboo Shoots

Water

Equipment you will use

Sauce Pan

Sieve

Stir together vinegars, light soy sauce, sugar, and salt in another small bowl.

Ingredients you will need

Light Soy Sauce

Sugar

Salt

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Heat a wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.

Ingredients you will need

Water

Equipment you will use

Wok

Pour peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat sides.

Ingredients you will need

Peanut Oil

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Wok

Add pork and stir-fry until meat just changes color, about 1 minute, then add black mushrooms, tree ears, lily buds, and bamboo shoots and stir-fry 1 minute.

Ingredients you will need

Bamboo Shoots

Mushrooms

Meat

Pork

Add broth and bring to a boil, then add tofu. Return to a boil and add vinegar mixture. Stir cornstarch mixture, then add to broth and return to a boil, stirring. (Liquid will thicken.) Reduce heat to moderate and simmer 1 minute.

Ingredients you will need

Corn Starch

Vinegar

Broth

Tofu

Beat eggs with a fork and add a few drops of sesame oil.

Ingredients you will need

Sesame Oil

Egg

Add eggs to soup in a thin stream, stirring slowly in one direction with a spoon. Stir in white pepper, then drizzle in remaining sesame oil and divide among 6 to 8 bowls.

Ingredients you will need

White Pepper

Sesame Oil

Egg

Soup

Equipment you will use

Bowl

Sprinkle with scallions and cilantro before serving.

Ingredients you will need

Green Onions

Cilantro

Equipment

Recommended wine: Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling

Asian can be paired with Chenin Blanc, Gewurztraminer, and Riesling. The best wine for Asian food depends on the cuisine and dish - of course - but these acidic whites pair with a number of traditional meals, spicy or not. You could try Lubanzi Chenin Blanc. Reviewers quite like it with a 4.1 out of 5 star rating and a price of about 16 dollars per bottle.