Suan La Tang (Hot and Sour Soup) - Chinese Recipes

Are you looking for something to warm yourself up on a cold night? None will do the job quite like a steaming hot bowl of Suan La Tang, or Sichuan Hot & Sour Soup. Get a thick heart-warming soup, which is guaranteed to fire-up your senses with its rich flavours and satisfy your soul, with this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

¼ cup and 1 tsp corn starch
¼ cup water
1-2 dried red chilli peppers
30g pork shoulder or loin
½ tsp oil
¼ cup soaked dried lily flower
¼ cup soaked wood ears
¼ cup soaked dried shiitake mushrooms
¼ cup or small block of spiced tofu
¼ cup packaged firm tofu
¼ cup bamboo shoots (canned or fresh)
2 eggs
1 scallion
8 cups chicken stock
½ tsp fresh ground white pepper
2 tsp dark soy or mushroom soy sauce
1 tbsp light or seasoned soy sauce
Salt to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp white vinegar
1 pinch of sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix ¼ cup cornstarch with an equal amount of water and use a spoon to stir until completely dissolved.
2. Cut the dried chilli peppers in half discard the seeds. Mince them up and set aside. Keep the seeds if you want to increase the broth’s spiciness.
3. Slice the pork into small strips and place into a bowl with the last teaspoon of corn starch and ½ teaspoon of oil. Stir it all together.
4. Soak the dried lily flower, wood ears, and mushrooms for an hour or two until hydrated. Once they’re ready, slice the mushrooms and give the wood ears a rough chop. Trim the tough ends off the lily flowers and cut them in half.
5. Cut the spiced tofu and the firm tofu into 2in long and ¼in thick pieces.
6. Slice the winter bamboo shoots into the same shape.
7. Wash and chop the scallion and set aside.
8. Beat the two eggs in a bowl.
9. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a wok or pot and add the pork. Stir to ensure the slices are not clumped together. Skim off any foam that floats to the top.
10. Add the chilli pepper, white pepper and both soy sauces, and check the soup for salt. Add the lily flowers, wood ears, mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and bring the soup to a simmer. Add the two kinds of tofu, sesame oil, vinegar, and a pinch of sugar and stir. Stir until the broth thickens.
11. Use a spoon to mix your corn starch in the bowl so it’s all combined. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Use a soup ladle to stir the soup at the center of the wok in a steady circular motion to make a whirlpool while slowly pouring the corn starch slurry in a thin stream. This prevents the corn starch from clumping. Stop when you are about ¾ of the way done with your slurry to check the consistency of the soup. It should be thick enough to coat your spoon or ladle. Add the rest if needed.
12. Keep the soup simmering and use the same technique with the beaten eggs and again, make sure the motion is fast enough or you will end up with egg clumps instead of the beautiful swirls or egg “flowers” (which is what the Chinese call it).
13. Garnish with the chopped scallions and serve.