Hot and Sour Soup — Ad-Free Recipe, Ingredients First

The heat comes from white pepper and the sour from black vinegar, and both have to be fresh or the whole soup lands flat and one-note. Stir the vinegar in off the heat at the very end, since boiling it drives the sharp sourness right out of the pot.

The Ingredients — and where to get them

Cook for 6 servings

Firm tofu

Firm tofu sliced into matchsticks holds its shape in the simmer; soft tofu falls apart.

8 oz

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Mushrooms

Sliced shiitake and wood ear for meaty chew and slippery texture; rehydrate dried ones first.

2 cups

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Black vinegar

Chinkiang black vinegar for the sour backbone; add it late so the tang survives.

1/4 cup

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Soy sauce

For color and salt in the broth alongside the vinegar.

3 tbsp

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White pepper

Ground white pepper is the heat; it's the whole point, so be generous.

1-2 tsp

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Bone broth

A rich chicken broth base gives the soup its body under all the additions.

6 cups

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Egg and scallion

Egg ribboned in at the end, scallion showered on top.

to taste

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The Rundown

Greedometer ●●●●● Squeaky clean

About as virtuous as dinner gets.

EffortSome doing

Cook it with

Instant PotSlow cookerOne-pot

The Method

SimmerBring the broth up with mushrooms, tofu, soy, and white pepper. Let it simmer 10 minutes so the mushrooms soften and season the broth.
ThickenStir in a cornstarch slurry and cook until the soup turns glossy and slightly thick, which lets the egg ribbons float.
Ribbon eggSwirl the soup and pour beaten egg in a thin stream, then stop stirring for a few seconds to let it set into strands.
Sour lastTake the pot off the heat and stir in the black vinegar now, off the boil, so the sourness stays sharp. Finish with scallion.

The Toolkit

Soup pot · Ladle

Straight Answers

Can you make Hot and Sour Soup in an air fryer? — Yes, with an insert

Not on its own — an air fryer can’t hold a pool of liquid. You can simmer it in an oven-safe dish or a silicone insert made to fit the basket, but the broth won’t reduce or brown the way it does on the stove, and that insert comes out scorching, so use oven mitts. For real depth, a pot on the stove wins.

Can you freeze Hot and Sour Soup? — Yes

Yes — it freezes well. Cool it fully, portion into airtight containers, and it keeps a few months; thaw in the fridge and reheat gently.

Can you make Hot and Sour Soup ahead of time? — Yes

Yes — it holds well and often tastes better the next day. Make it ahead and reheat gently before serving.

Is Hot and Sour Soup gluten-free? — Not as written

Not as written — it contains gluten. Make it gluten-free: swap in tamari instead of soy sauce (check the other labels too).

Is Hot and Sour Soup vegan? — Vegetarian, not vegan

It’s vegetarian but not vegan as written — it has egg. Make it vegan: a flax or aquafaba egg for the egg.

Community Notes

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© 2026 5best2buy.com · Recipe No.62

Hot and Sour Soup, and where to source it