SUAN LA TANG: Hot and Sour Soup
Hot and Sour Soup is one of the best known of all Szechwanese recipes in the
West. Basic Suan-la Tang is simply a light stock flavored with vinegar and
pepper and thickened with cornstarch. Pork and chicken shreds, bean curd,
dried mushrooms, wood ear, dried chicken or duck's blood, sea cucumber and
fish stomach are all common additions. However, some of these exotic
ingredients are difficult to obtain outside China. The following recipe uses
familiar ingredients and others that are generally available at Chinese
provisions stores.
Ingredients
- 1/4 Ib. shredded chicken and/or pork
- 3-4 dried mushrooms
- 3-4 pieces wood ear (optional)
- 1 cake bean curd
- 1/4 cup bamboo shoot (optional)
- 2 Tbsps. finely chopped green onion
- I tsp. finely chopped fresh ginger (optional)
- 4 1/2 tsps.-2 Tbsps. cornstarch mixed with 3-4 Tbsps. water
- 1 1/2 Tbsps. vinegar
- 1 1/2 Tbsps. water
- l/2 tsp. black or white pepper
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. ketchup
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil (optional)
- 6 cups chicken or pork stock
Preparation
- Shred the chicken and/or pork. To facilitate cutting, you may want to
parboil the meat first.
- Soak the dried mushrooms and wood ear in warm water until softened, rinse
thoroughly and cut off the tough stems of the mushrooms and any tough
section of wood ear. Shred mushrooms and wood ear.
- Carefully cut the dou-fu, or bean curd, into thin strips or shreds. Shred
the bamboo shoot. Chop the green onion and ginger finely.
- Mix the cornstarch with the water in a cup. Mix the vinegar and water and
pepper in another cup. Beat the egg lightly in a bowl. Set these aside.
Cooking Method
- Heat the stock in a wok or pot. Add all shredded and chopped
ingredients except the green onion. (To PREPARE: Steps 1 and 2, above.)
- Bring to a boil and add the salt, ketchup and soy sauce. Giving the
cornstarch mixed with water a stir, add that. Stir and return to a boil.
- Reduce the flame somewhat and stir in the lightly beaten egg. When the
egg has coalesced into many fine threads, remove the soup to a tureen.
- Now add the vinegar-water-pepper mixture, a little at a time to taste,
stirring between additions. You should use most, if not all, of the prepared
mixture, but the final effect of hotness and sourness is up to you. Finally
add the green onion and sesame oil. Stir briefly and serve hot.
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