Hot and Sour Soup

It's the chicken noodle soup of the East.

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken stock or broth (or 4 cups water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes)

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1/4 cup cooked shredded chicken or pork

• 1/2 -3/4 cup mushrooms, diced

• 1/2 tablespoon garlic chili sauce (or fried chili in oil for more kick)

• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

• 1/4 cup white (rice) vinegar

• 1/3 cup canned bamboo shoots, julienned

• 4 oz block of tofu, cut into 1/4 inch dice

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or potato starch) and 2 tablespoons cold water

• 1 egg, beaten

• 2 green onion stalks, diced (including tops) - optional

• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (or chili sesame oil)

Directions

1. Optional: marinate chicken breast in 2tbspn soy sauce, 1/2 tspn lemon juice, slice into small pieces and pan sear 3-5 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F, then chop or shred

2. Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a 2-quart saucepan.

3. Add soy sauce, shredded meat, mushrooms and garlic red chili paste.

4. Simmer for five minutes.

5. Add white pepper, white vinegar, bamboo shoots, tofu. to prepare tofu, leave block in a paper towel for 10 minutes before cutting.

6. Simmer for five minutes.

7. Combine two tablespoons of cornstarch with two tablespoons of cold water in a cup. Stir until mixture is smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to soup and stir well.

8. Simmer for five minutes until soup is thickened.

9. Beat egg in a cup until yolk and white are combined. Stir pot vigorously, and while stirring pour beaten egg slowly, in a fine stream into soup. Stir soup several times.

10. Wait 30 seconds.

11. Add green onions and sesame oil to soup. Stir well. Remove from heat.

12. Serve hot.