If you are a fan of Chinese-style soups with a sour and spicy flavor that stimulates the taste buds. Today, TasteVN will guide you through 3 ways to cook delicious hot and sour soup that tastes like a restaurant. Let’s get cooking to make this soup right away!
1. Traditional hot and sour soup
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
10 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for traditional hot and sour soup For 4 people
Chicken eggs 2 eggs Tofu 100 gr Seafood mushrooms 1 bunch Chicken leg mushrooms 1 piece Wood ear mushrooms 4 pieces Shiitake mushrooms 2 pieces Tomato 1 piece Carrot 1/2 piece Bell pepper 1 piece Chili pepper 2 pieces Green onions 2 sprigs Corn starch 2 tablespoons Vinegar 2 tablespoons Black soy sauce 1 tablespoon Soy sauce 2 tablespoons Sesame oil 1 teaspoon Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Common spices a little (salt/ sugar/ ground pepper)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh mushrooms
- Shiitake mushrooms: You should choose mushrooms that are bright brown, not broken, and do not have mold or strange odors.
- Sea mushrooms: You should check the expiration date of the mushrooms, ensuring they are still fresh and have no strange smell.
- Chicken leg mushrooms: You should choose mushrooms that are brightly colored and about the length of a fist, with a distinctive scent reminiscent of almonds.
See details: How to choose fresh mushrooms
How to choose fresh tomatoes
- Fresh tomatoes are those with bright red skin, uniform color, plump, intact, and without scratches.
- You should choose tomatoes that have a light, pleasant aroma, with a fresh green stem still firmly attached to the fruit, and when cut open, the seeds are yellow.
- Avoid buying tomatoes with green seeds, no aroma, wilted stems, or detached from the fruit as these indicate low quality tomatoes.
See details: How to choose fresh tomatoes
How to choose fresh and delicious tofu
- You should choose tofu pieces that are off-white in color, feel light and smooth when held. If it feels heavy, firm, slightly hard, or too square, you should skip it.
- Pure tofu pieces, which do not contain gypsum, usually have a distinctive fragrant smell, while tofu with gypsum will have a faint smell of lime and will taste bland, dry, and spongy when eaten.
- Avoid buying tofu that has a yellowish color as it may contain a lot of gypsum and has been stored for too long, making it no longer fresh.
- Additionally, to save costs and ensure you get quality tofu, you can also make it at home using the recipe shared below by TasteVN!
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Traditional Hot and Sour Soup Preparation
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Prepare the ingredients
Sea mushrooms you bought, cut off the stems, and for the long mushroom stalks, cut them in half, then soak in diluted salt water and rinse several times with clean water.
Chicken thigh mushrooms you cut into pieces about 2 finger lengths, then split them and slice, then soak in diluted salt water and rinse to drain.
Wood ear mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms soak in water for about 10 minutes to expand, then rinse and cut into small pieces.
Tomatoes wash clean and dice, carrots wash clean and cut into pieces about 2 finger lengths then julienne, bell peppers wash clean, remove seeds and cut into strips like carrots. Green onions wash clean and chop finely.
Tofu wash clean, then cut into strips lengthwise and then crosswise into long strips about 1/3 finger thickness.
You put 2 eggs into a bowl and beat them well.
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Cooking soup
You place a pot on the stove, turn on the flame to medium, wait for the pot to heat up, then add 1 tablespoon of oil and add 2 chili peppers, stir well until the chilies become fragrant, then remove the chilies.
After that, you add diced tomatoes to the pot and stir for about 1 – 2 minutes until the tomatoes are soft, then add about 1 liter of boiling water to the pot, cooking over medium heat.
When the water boils again, add 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of sugar, stirring to dissolve the mixture.
Next, add the ingredients: bell peppers, carrots, chicken thigh mushrooms, seafood mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and tofu, cover the pot, and cook over medium heat for about 3 – 4 minutes until the ingredients are cooked.
When the ingredients are cooked, dilute 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water and slowly add the mixture to the soup pot, gently stirring to thicken the soup.
Continue by gradually adding 2 beaten eggs into the soup pot, stirring gently to evenly mix the eggs!
Finally, add 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to the soup, season to taste for your family’s preference, and then turn off the heat!
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Completion
Serve the soup in a bowl and add a bit of finely chopped green onion on top, and you can enjoy it!
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Final Product
The traditional hot and sour soup is steaming hot with beautiful colors that are very eye-catching. The soup is thick with just the right seasoning combined with fresh mushrooms and vegetables.
This dish is suitable for family meals that want to change their taste, with a unique and special flavor that will surely delight your family!
2. Beef Hot and sour soup
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
2 hours 10 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Hot and Sour Beef Soup For 3 people
Beef 500 gr Soft Tofu 100 gr Green Onions 1 stalk Cilantro A little Ginger 1 piece Black Mushrooms 5 gr Dried Flower Pepper 20 gr Dried Shiitake Mushrooms 5 gr Sweet Potato Noodles 35 gr Fresh Tofu Skin 50 gr Cornstarch 1.5 tablespoons White Pepper Powder 1 tablespoon Star Anise 2 pieces Sichuan Peppercorns 1/2 teaspoon White Peppercorns 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce 1 teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce 2 teaspoons Shaoxing Wine 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar 1 tablespoon Salt/ Sugar A little Fried Dough Sticks 2 pieces
How to Choose Fresh and Delicious Beef
- Good beef has a bright red color, fine texture, light yellow fat, feels firm and elastic when pressed, and has a characteristic beef smell.
- If the meat is dark red, has a coarse texture, and dark yellow fat, it is old beef, which is very tough. Or if the meat is dark red, with white fat, and has a slightly fishy smell, then it is buffalo meat.
- Additionally, do not buy if the beef appears dull, soft and watery, or has a foul smell.
See details: How to Choose Fresh and Delicious Beef
How to make Hot and sour soup with beef
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Preparing other ingredients
Dried shiitake mushrooms should be soaked in water for about 10 minutes to expand, then rinse with water, trim off the stems, and chop finely.
Wood ear mushrooms should be soaked in water for about 10 minutes to expand, then removed, rinsed, and chopped finely.
Rough hoang thao should be soaked in water for about 7 – 10 minutes, then rinsed and cut into pieces about 2 finger lengths.
Sweet potato vermicelli should be cut into pieces about 2 finger lengths, then soaked in water for about 10 minutes to soften, then drained.
Soft tofu should be cut into strips about 1/2 finger thickness, then placed into a bowl of soaking water, fresh tofu skin should be cut into strips.
Fried dough stick should be torn into bite-sized pieces.
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Boil the beef and shred it
The beef you bought should be washed clean and cut into pieces about 1.5 finger lengths, then soak it in dilute salt water for about 1 hour.
After that, take the salted beef and put it into an pot, add 2 star anise flowers, 1/2 teaspoon of Sichuan peppercorns, 1 teaspoon of white peppercorns, 1 piece of ginger, and 1 green onion (rolled up), 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, and add about 1.5 liters of water into the pot, then cover it up.
Next, place the pot on the stove, turn on high heat to bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the beef for about 2 hours until tender.
Finally, take the beef out of the pot and wait for it to cool, then use a knife or your hands to shred the beef.
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Cooking the soup
Put the prepared ingredients into the pot in order: sweet potato vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, fresh tofu skin, yellow flower, and 350ml of broth (beef broth), 2 teaspoons of dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, stir well and cook on medium heat until boiling.
When the water boils, add the soft tofu to the pot. Mix 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until dissolved, then slowly add it to the soup pot to thicken.
After boiling for about 30 seconds, add 1 teaspoon of white pepper, 1 tablespoon of Trấn Giang vinegar, and adjust the seasoning to your taste!
Finally, add shredded beef and torn fried dough sticks into the soup pot and a little chopped cilantro to complete it!
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Final product
Hot and sour beef soup is steaming hot, with a light aroma from the shiitake mushrooms. The soup is slightly spicy with a hint of sourness from the vinegar, combined with the beef and various ingredients that are incredibly delicious.
Show off your skills by treating your family to this dish, it will definitely be praised!
3. Hot and sour soup rau
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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
15 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Hot and sour soup rau Serves 4
Oyster mushrooms 100 gr Green beans 5 pieces Carrot 1 piece Bell pepper 1 piece (small) Cabbage 100 gr Bean sprouts 50 gr Green onions 5 stalks Minced garlic 3 cloves Minced green chili 2 pieces Minced ginger 1 piece Cornstarch 3 tablespoons Vinegar 5 tablespoons Dark soy sauce 6 tablespoons Chili oil 5 tablespoons Cooking oil 1 tablespoon Salt/ ground pepper . A little
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh cabbage
- When buying cabbage, you should choose heads that are round and have a nice dark green color, with the outer leaves still fresh and not bruised.
- Additionally, you should pick cabbage that feels heavy and firm in your hand, with balanced size and weight.
- Avoid cabbage that is flat or oval-shaped, and do not buy heads that have turned yellow.
See details: How to choose fresh cabbage
How to choose fresh and delicious green beans
- You should choose beans with green stems, looking fresh, without any black spots or uneven colors.
- Good green beans will have a long, flat shape without bulges. If the surface has many bumps, it means the beans inside are large and the beans are overripe, which will not taste good.
- Do not choose beans that look too perfect, shiny, with few hairs, and no signs of pests or clear burns. Because they may have been sprayed with a lot of pesticides, and the remaining residues are extremely harmful to health.
See details: How to choose fresh and delicious green beans
How to choose fresh and delicious bell peppers
- To buy good bell peppers, you should choose those with bright, shiny, smooth skin and even color.
- Choose ones that feel heavy, firm, of moderate size, not too large or too small, with the stem still attached.
- You should not choose bell peppers that feel too soft, have wrinkled skin, show bruises, or signs of being crushed.
See details: How to choose fresh and delicious bell peppers
How to choose fresh and delicious carrots
- You should choose carrots that are bright orange, fresh, and have a firm body. Prioritize those with green tops tightly attached to the root.
- Fresh and delicious carrots are those that are proportionate in size, elongated, with a large top that tapers towards the tail, and have smooth, glossy skin.
- Do not buy those that are scratched or overly bruised, with wilted tops, as these are not fresh carrots.
See details: How to choose fresh and delicious carrots
How to prepare Vegetable hot and sour soup
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Prepare the ingredients
Wash the vegetables with diluted salt water and then rinse thoroughly with clean water.
For green onions, slice the green part thinly and chop the white part finely. Remove the strings from the green beans and then slice them thinly. Cut the cabbage into thin slices and deseed the bell pepper before cutting it into small strips.
Peel the carrot and cut it into thin strips. Clean the straw mushrooms and slice them thinly. Rinse the bean sprouts and let them drain.
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Stir-fried vegetables
Put the pot on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Wait for it to heat up, then add the minced ginger, garlic, and green chili mixture to sauté until fragrant.
Next, add the vegetables to stir-fry, including: green onion tops, green beans, carrots, cabbage, and bell peppers, and stir well over high heat for about 30 seconds.
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Cook the soup
Add 1.5 liters of water to the pot of stir-fried vegetables and cook over medium heat for about 2 – 3 minutes until boiling, then add the seasonings, including: 6 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 5 tablespoons of vinegar, 4 tablespoons of chili sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, stirring the mixture well.
Next, add the oyster mushrooms and bean sprouts to the pot, dissolve 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water in a bowl, then slowly pour it into the soup while stirring well.
Finally, add the chopped green onions and 5 tablespoons of chili oil, adjust the seasoning to your taste, and turn off the heat!
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Finished product
Hot and sour soup with colorful vegetables is incredibly appealing. The broth is sweet from vegetables and mushrooms, with a surprisingly sour and spicy taste that is very stimulating to the palate.
What is hot and sour soup?
- Translated from English – Hot and sour soup is a dish from traditional Asian cuisine. In any case, the soup contains ingredients that make it both spicy and sour.
- The ingredients are incredibly diverse, stimulating the palate, helping diners change their taste preferences.
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So TasteVN has guided you to complete 3 ways to cook Chinese style hot and sour soup just like in restaurants. Wishing you success in preparing this dish to treat your family!
