Need recipe for Hot 'N Sour Spicy soup.....

Duh me!
I have edited the title of this thread, as I noticed at this late date, that I did not put the correct name of the soup that I wanted the recipe for.
Thankfully, you all knew what I meant!
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I LOVE Hot and Sour soup from the Chinese restaurants.
I love the woodear mushrooms.
Is there any way I can possibly duplicate my favorite restaurants Hot 'n Sour soup at home?
I mean, a quart is less than 4 bucks .
I usually get 2 quarts and freeze one, so I dont have to make the 15 mile trek.
And it is fine freezing and reheating.
Any good recipes out there.
Can you tell I am on a soup kick right now?

Stick with the less than $4 soup from your restaurant. This soup is a pain in the petooty to make properly.......using fresh water chestnuts and fresh bamboo.

But if you insist.....here's a list of ingredients that I use in mine. As with any soup, you can throw in as much or as little of an item as desired.

minced pork (not ground)
peeled, sliced water chestnuts
julienned bamboo
reconstituted lily buds
reconstituted shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
straw mushrooms
reconstituted black fungus (wood ear)
tofu, small cubes
chicken stock
corn starch
Sambal
white rice vinegar
sliced scallions
sesame oil
soy sauce

Stir-fry the minced pork in hot peanut oil (scant amount). Add the water chestnuts, bamboo, mushrooms and lily buds. Cover with chicken stock and the liquid from reconstituting the mushrooms and buds (careful of the grit at the bottom). Simmer about 20 minutes, no longer. Thicken with a slurry of corn starch. Add the tofu. Add as much sambal (hot) and vinegar (sour) as you like. Add a few drops of sesame oil and a little soy sauce. Stir in scallions just before serving.

The soup will not have that lovely dark color that your restaurant serves so you need to "cheat" by adding a few drops of Kitchen Bouquet.

What was that sound??? Oh, it was just roossy slamming the door, headed for the Chinese restaurant!

I use chinese black vinegar instead of white vinegar. It lends that nice brown color and is a mild, almost balsamic flavored vinegar.

I use the stuff that comes in 2 cans together for lots of recipes, Chun King maybe? I'm out or I would look at the cans. My favorite is to just add some soy sauce, and a box of frozen brocccoli, served over pasta. The veggies that come in the big can are real good I think. There is even some bay corn, also known as baby corn, in it. I love that stuff!

I know Llee, fresh is way better but... I think I will try makeing some spicy soup with it. Hmmm, beef or chicken? I bet will be real good. And it't easy and cheep, $3 at the dollar store, makes allot! What to use for the hotness I wonder?
Joe

I think I am going to take Lisa's suggestion.
For the price, and the taste, I am better off. I might make something that I don't like, and it would be a waste of my money.
Thanks for all the ideas. I will copy them and put them into my recipe book just in case!

It's really not that hard, my problem is I eat to much and get a sour stomach. I add more pepper and vinegar then what is called for as I like it really hot and really sour.

2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp water
2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 small fresh red chili
1 egg
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 3/4 cups chicken or beef consomme
mushrooms, I like the wood ear ones
Skinless chicken breasts or pork cut into thin strips
1 tsp seame oil

1: In a mixing bowl blend the cornstarch with water to form a paste.
2: Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and black pepper.
3: Finely chop the red chili and add to bowl as well.
4: Beat egg in a seperate bowl.
5: Heat oil and fry the onion for 1-2 miuntes until soft
6: Stir in consomee, mushrooms, and chicken, cook for about 15 min.
7: Gradually add cornstarch mixture to thicken.
8: While stirring gradually drizzle the egg in to great threads.
9: Serve it up with a drizzle of sesame oil on top!

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

What was that sound??? Oh, it was just roossy slamming the door, headed for the Chinese restaurant!

On my way, but both recipes sound really good!

Told 'ya!

quote:

Originally posted by lleechef

Told 'ya!

Got 2 quarts for $7.80..
Just had some, and I swear, they make the best I have had since I lived near Boston.
And believe me, I have had many bad bowls in the last 3 years while searching.
This place is a gem.
There are 5 other Chinese places within a 4 mile radius, but I drive 8 miles one way to get theirs.
BTW--- I have copied both recipes for future experimentation.

OH, Edge..
Is that green onion, cuz that is what I am used to seeing.
(and tofu)
The one I get has woodear and button mushrooms, but I like the idea of straw also.

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

I use the stuff that comes in 2 cans together for lots of recipes, Chun King maybe? I'm out or I would look at the cans. My favorite is to just add some soy sauce, and a box of frozen brocccoli, served over pasta. The veggies that come in the big can are real good I think. There is even some bay corn, also known as baby corn, in it. I love that stuff!

I know Llee, fresh is way better but... I think I will try makeing some spicy soup with it. Hmmm, beef or chicken? I bet will be real good. And it't easy and cheep, $3 at the dollar store, makes allot! What to use for the hotness I wonder?
Joe

Papa,
are you sure you arent talking about ChowMein in the cans?
Thats not a good base for Hot and Sour Soup.

That soup looks great Roosy!

Yep, that's tha stuff I was talking about, La Choy. I'm sure you are right, especially about the sour part! I was thinking "hot and spicy". Just one of my crazy soup ideas.

And I know yall think I'm crazy for even liking this stuff. It's not really Chinese food of coarse, it's La Choy. I do like it though, especially the chicken chow mein, with broccali and soy sauce added, and served over fettuccine. I love that baby corn! I think they sell those veggies, that come in the larger can, seperatly also.

Don't get me wrong. I love good chinese food, especially the soups. I sometimes like to add that red chile sauce to spice things up.
Joe

Of all the Chinese (or Chinese-American) soups, I like the hot-and-sour the best. Especially now when it's so cold outside. Eating a bowl of this, especially if you tell the folks in the restaurant to make it like the Chinese would eat it, will clear your sinuses like nothing else on Earth. Plus it is so tasty. I don't make my own, either, although I usually have most of the ingredients around. It's just too much trouble since I'm the only one who likes it. There is only one restaurant here that makes it right, but it's worth the trip downtown.

Roossy - yep that should read green onion.

I couldn't believe it, went to our Tai place last week and they no longer serve any soup! The rest of their food is excellent, strange if you ask me.

quote:

Originally posted by Theedge

Roossy - yep that should read green onion.

Thanks.....

Its not that hard just a lot of ingredients, I make a pot about once a month(i'll switch between making a chineese hot and sour and thai tom-yum type soups). The good thing is you have an entire pot of hot and sour to eat for a couple days and you can doctor it to your taste (you wont find water chestnuts in mine, you will find extra shrooms) :)

One tip is to find a good asian store since these ingredients are usually much cheaper...for example I pay(or used to) almost 3$ for a can of straw mushrooms at the grocery store at the specialty store they are .89 a can.

I wish there was an Asian market here.

Oh, Lleechef..
Just what are lilybuds?
I fogot to ask, and wonder if I have been eating them and dont know it....
The soup I get is so good... I dont know if I want to try to make my own.

I found this in a Weight Watchers cook book called 'Take Out'. It came out really well:
6 Dried wood ear mushrooms
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I used home made pork stock)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (calls for reduced sodium, but...)
1 tablespoon of chili-garlic sauce
3 tablespoons of rice vinegar
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
1/2 pound of tofu cut into 1/2" cubes
1 8oz. can of bamboo shoots, drained, thinly sliced
2-1/2 tablespoons of corn starch
3 tablespoons water
1 egg white, lightly beaten (think I used a whole egg)

Soak the wood ear in hot water for 15 min, dran, rinse

Bring the broth, soy sauce, chili-garlic, vinegar, and sesmae oil to a boil. Add the mushroom, tofu, and bamboo shoots.

Reduce heat and simmer 10 min.

Combine corn starch, water, and 1/4 cup hot liquid in a cup, and stir into soup until slightly thickened.

Slowly drizzle in the egg, while stirring.
Serve...

I believe I added sliced left over pork in mine...Its really pretty easy if you can find the ingredients.

quote:

Originally posted by roossy90

I wish there was an Asian market here.

Oh, Lleechef..
Just what are lilybuds?
I fogot to ask, and wonder if I have been eating them and dont know it....
The soup I get is so good... I dont know if I want to try to make my own.

Lilybuds are exactly that- dried lily flower buds. You buy them in asian markets with all the other mysterious dried good. I make hot and sour with and without them. You could probably order some on line - they'd be cheap to ship because they weigh next to nothing.