by Jeffrey | 31 Comments
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My friend, April, is obsessed with Hot & Sour Soup. So obsessed with it that she turned me on to it. BIG TIME.
To those who’ve never had it, Hot & Sour Soup is one of three soups you’d normally order at a Chinese restaurant (the other two, of course, being Wonton and Egg Drop) and it’s exactly what the name implies: hot AND sour!But don’t let that come off as unappetizing to you. It is a healthy soup as it’s LOADED with spinach, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, tofu (or chicken if you wish) and will send you straight to a place of warmth and comfort the moment it enters your mouth!
And the BEST part? NO TRIPS TO ANY FANCY MARKETS FOR ANY OF THESE INGREDIENTS, FOLKS! This is also one of the easiest things you’ll EVER make in yourInstant Pot, will easily satisfy all soup connoisseurs and, dare I say it, may just be the best Hot & Sour Soup that ever passes through (and tingles) your lips!
Here’s How I Made It!:
Let’s take a bunch of scallions…
…and take any frustration out on them by chopping them up. Set aside.
Now to the Instant Pot, we’re going to get all witch’s cauldron. Begin by adding some vegetable broth…
…canola oil…
…rice vinegar…
…red wine vinegar…
…low sodium soy sauce…
…chili garlic sauce…
…a spoonful of sugar…
…ground ginger…
…white pepper…
…sesame oil…
…and some Kosher salt.
Then, add in the scallions…
…bamboo shoots (that are drained)…
…and some sliced Baby Bella/Crimini mushrooms (you can use Shiitake too, just remove the stems)
Super Mario would LOVE this soup.
So would Popeye. Add in a bag of spinach. And it’s okay if it comes to the top of the pot because…
…we’re going to stir it in with everything else and push it down a bit with the spoon. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure.
While the soup is becoming hot & sour, crack a couple of eggs into a bowl…
…and whisk it up. Set aside.
Then, take another bowl and some cornstarch…
…water…
…and mix to form a cornstarch slurry. Set aside.
Now take a brick of firm or extra firm tofu (don’t go any softer than that)…
…drain from the water and cut into small cubes. And yes, set that aside too.
When the pot is done cooking, it’ll look like this with the spinach all cooked down.
Give it a stir and then bring the pot to a light boil on the “Sauté” setting.
Once it begins to bubble, add in the cornstarch slurry…
…and stir and let boil for about 2 minutes. When done, adjust the heat on the pot so it’s on “Keep Warm.”
Now add in the tofu…
…followed by the whisked eggs.
Stir immediately for about a minute and you’re going to see some serious egg-ribbon magic take place right before your very eyes.
Now you’re ready to serve! Ladle some soup…
…right into a bowl and enjoy some of the finest Hot & Sour soup you’ve ever encountered!
Enjoy!
Instant Pot Hot & Sour Soup
Yield: 6-8
Hot & Sour Soup is the Chinese version of vegetable soup with a major kick of some, well, hot & sour. This one is a true "dump & go" made with all accessbile ingredients, yet with full-on authentic flavor. Get ready to have your sinuses cleared!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time18 minutes
Ingredients
- 7-8 cups of vegetable broth (I used 7 tsp of Vegetable Better Than Bouillon + 7 cups of water; NOTE: using 7 cups vs. 8 creates an even more intense hot & sour flavor of the soup)
- 1 tbsp of canola oil
- 3 tbsp of rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup of reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp of chili garlic sauce (or Sriracha will work fine too!)
- 1 tsp of sesame oil
- 1.5 tsp of granulated sugar
- 2 tsp of ground ginger
- 1 tsp of white pepper
- 1.5 tsp of Kosher salt
- 1 bunch (or about 5 strands) of scallions, sliced
- 16oz of Baby Bella (Crimini) mushrooms, sliced (you can also use Shiitake mushrooms, just remove the stems)
- 16oz can of bamboo shoots, drained
- 8-10oz bag of baby spinach
- 8-14oz of firm or extra firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup of cornstarch + 1/4 cup water, for a slurry
- 2 large eggs, whisked
Instructions
- Add ALL the ingredients to theInstant Potwith the spinach added lastEXCEPT for the egg, tofu and cornstarch slurry (those three come later). The pot will be filled to the brim once the spinach is added, so give everything a very good stir and make sure the spinach is mixed in with the broth and everything else
- Secure the lid, hit “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” High Pressure for 5 minutes (it will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure due to everything in this loaded pot!) Quick release when done
- Once the lid is removed, hit “Sauté” and Adjust so it’s on the “More” or “High” setting. Once it begins to bubble, add the cornstarch slurry, stir well for about 2 minutes and then turn the Instant Pot to “Keep Warm”
- Lastly, add in the tofu and stir followed by the egg mixture and stir for about a minute until egg ribbons form
- Ladle into bowls and enjoy this INCREDIBLE soup!
Jeffrey's Tips
This recipe makes about 6-8 servings! You can halve the recipe OR just make it as is because this soup will be great the next few days in the fridge AND it freezes well for the future!
This is a vegetarian friendly dish (if you eat eggs. If not, you can omit and then it will be vegetarian AND vegan friendly!)
Want it with some shredded chicken instead of tofu? No problem! Add in 1 lb of chicken thighs or breasts before cooking and increase the cook time from 5 minutes to 9 minutes. Once you quick release, set the chicken aside, shred and add back to the pot after bubbling the cornstarch slurry and adding the egg!
