Hot & sour soup

T'was another cold winter night. What better than to have something hot, sour, spicy and soupy?

I first tasted this hot and sour soup when I was studying in the US. This and egg drop soup were the two standard soup starters in most Chinese restaurants. At first taste, I thought it was the weirdest soup concoction ever - who invented it anyway? Over time, I begin to appreciate the wonders this soup makes you feel, especially on cold winter nights.

Summary of recipe:

Prepare in separate bowls:

1. Soak and cut into strips:
   1-2 pieces of woodear, 2 dried Chinese/Shitake mushrooms, 6-8 strips of dried golden lily.
   Optional: pork strips, crab meat, bamboo shoots.
2. Mix 1.5 Tbsp white vinegar + 1 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar + 2 Tbsp light soy + 1/2 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp sugar + 1 tsp (or more) Korean chili flakes* + 1 tsp chili oil
3. Mix 1 Tbsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp water.

Cook:

1. Sautè items in #1 bowl with a swirl of oil for 3 minutes.
2. Add 2 cups chicken broth and let it boil.
3. Add 1 soft tofu (pre-cut into bite size).
4. Add in #2 and #3 mixtures and stir intermittently until broth thickens.
5. Slowly drip in 1 egg (lightly beaten) while stirring the pot.
6. Season with dashes of pepper, depending on how much heat you like. 
7. Garnish with sliced spring onions (not shown in picture).

*Can be substituted with any other chili flakes or powder.