Hot and Sour Soup (Suan La Tang)
A comforting Chinese soup balancing tangy vinegar and gentle heat, packed with tofu, mushrooms and bamboo shoots, perfect for a quick vegetarian meal.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Method
-
Step 1 of 6
Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat and sauté garlic, ginger and the optional chilli until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-
Step 2 of 6
Add the mushrooms and carrots, stir‑fry for 2 minutes until they begin to soften.
-
Step 3 of 6
Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer.
-
Step 4 of 6
Stir in the tofu, bamboo shoots and spring onions, simmer for 3 minutes.
-
Step 5 of 6
Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, sugar and cornstarch slurry into the soup, stirring until slightly thickened and the flavours meld, about 2 minutes.
-
Step 6 of 6
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then ladle into bowls and drizzle a few drops of sesame oil on top before serving.
Notes from the kitchen
If fresh shiitake are unavailable, use dried shiitake rehydrated in hot water. Soup keeps refrigerated for 2 days; reheat gently to avoid curdling the tofu.
Liked this recipe? Get one like it every week.
New recipes, seasonal ideas and kitchen tips in one short e-mail a week.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to tell us how it went.
