Chinese hot & sour soup
Peppery, tangy and full of crunchy vegetables
An Indo-Chinese restaurant favourite: a clear stock thickened with cornflour and packed with finely shredded vegetables and paneer or tofu. It gets its heat from black pepper and chilli and its sourness from vinegar. Serve it sizzling hot with green chillies in vinegar, chilli sauce and soy sauce on the side.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
For the seasoning
For the garnish
To serve
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add 2 tbsp fresh tomato purée and fry for 1 minute.
1 minStep 2: Add 4 tbsp mushrooms, 5 tbsp cabbage, 5 tbsp carrots, 2 tbsp French beans, 2 tbsp green capsicum and 1 tbsp celery and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Turn the heat down, add 1 tbsp soy sauce and fry for 2–3 minutes.
3 minStep 4: Mix 4 tbsp cornflour with ½ cup water into a smooth paste. Add it to the pan with ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp chilli sauce, ½ tsp MSG (ajinomoto), 1 tsp ground black pepper, 3 tbsp white vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 3 ½ oz paneer or tofu and 2 litres clear vegetable stock, stirring as you pour.
Step 5: Let it simmer on a low heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring now and then, until the soup turns glossy and slightly thick. Taste it: if it's too salty, add some unsalted stock and simmer, or add 1 tsp brown sugar and the salty taste will disappear.
6 minStep 6: For the garnish, heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan, take it off the heat and stir in ½ tsp red chilli powder. Pour it over the soup.
Step 7: Serve sizzling hot, with green chillies in vinegar and chilli sauce and soy sauce on the side.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chinese hot & sour soup take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of fresh tomato purée?
- Ketchup, same amount (sweeter).
- What can I use instead of mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Roasted tomato and basil soup
Roasting the tomatoes with onion and garlic concentrates their sweetness and gives the soup a gentle smokiness you can't get from a tin. Lovely with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Beef and broccoli stir-fry
A quick coat of cornflour and soy keeps thin slices of beef silky, and a hot wok gives the broccoli char without overcooking it. Faster than ordering in.
Chicken egg fried rice
The best fried rice starts with cold, day-old rice, so the grains stay separate and toast in the wok instead of turning mushy. A great way to use up leftover rice and odds and ends of vegetables.