Hot & Sour Mushroom Soup

This homemade spicy-acidic Chinese takeout favorite is perfect for chilly days when you’re feeling run down. With an immune-boosting broth of roasted ginger, garlic, and mushrooms, topped with fresh vegetables like bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, an… — This homemade spicy-acidic Chinese takeout favorite is perfect for chilly days when you’re feeling run down. With an immune-boosting broth of roasted ginger, garlic, and mushrooms, topped with fresh vegetables like bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and green onions, this soup is just as tasty as it is nutritious. (Photo source: Jared Kent)

| Yield: 4 servings | Time: 2 hours |

Ingredients

Mushroom-ginger stock

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium-sized white onion, peeled quartered

2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and diced into large chunks

2 stalks of celery, cut into large chunks

1 2-inch knob of ginger, unpeeled and cut into large chunks

2 cloves of garlic, whole

2 pods star anise

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

½ cup dried shiitake mushrooms (or 6 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems on)

1 ½ gallons water

Soup

1 cup rice wine vinegar (or ½ cup white vinegar)

¼ cup chili-garlic sauce (you can add more or less depending on your spice preference)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water

8 ounces thinly sliced fresh mushrooms (shiitake, beech, portabella, whatever you prefer)

1 8-ounce can bamboo shoots, sliced into thin strips

1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, sliced into thin strips

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 8-ounce block of extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes (about ½ inch)

For serving

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced on an extreme bias, greens and whites

extra sesame oil

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation

For the mushroom-ginger stock

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium- high heat. Add the onion, carrots, ginger, celery, and garlic. Cook on medium-high for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are dark brown.

Add the star anise, coriander seeds, and dried mushrooms to the pot. Cook for 1 more minute to toast the spices.

Pour the water into the pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for 90 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.

After 90 minutes, use a slotted spoon to strain out the chunks of vegetables from the stock. You can leave the dried spices in. Once strained, keep the stock at a simmer on the stove.

For the soup

Add the vinegar, chili-garlic paste, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, pepper, and cornstarch to the stock and stir.

Bring the stock to a boil and add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, ginger, garlic, and tofu. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes.

For serving

Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with a large pinch of the green onions, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a spoonful of toasted sesame seeds.

Zero-waste tips

• Steep ginger peels in hot water to make a refreshing ginger tea.

• If you have other vegetables laying around like cabbage, shredded carrots, broccoli, or cauliflower, feel free to add them into the soup.