Title: Mandarin Hot and Sour Soup
Categories: Soup Pork Chinese
Yield: 4 Servings
| 8 | c | Soup stock, 6-8 cups |
| 1/2 | | Square bean curd (optional) |
| 3 | | Dried black mushrooms 2-3* |
| 4 | | Dried wood ears (optional)* |
| 1 | | Slice cooked ham, shredded** |
| 1 | ts | Chili oil (optional) |
| 3/4 | ts | Salt |
| 1/2 | ts | Sugar |
| 2 | | Eggs lightly beaten |
| 1/4 | lb | Pork, lean |
| 1/4 | c | Shredded bamboo shoot |
| 2 | tb | Sliced can button mushrooms |
| 2 | | Stalks green onion, chopped |
| 4 | tb | Vinegar |
| 1/4 | | Hite pepper |
| 1/2 | ts | Sesame oil |
| 1 | tb | Soy sauce |
| 3 | tb | Cornstarch in 3 t water |
* Soaked and shredded. ** Optional Bring soup stock to a boil, add
shredded pork, black mushrooms and wood ears. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add
remainder of ingredients and seasonings (except cornstarch, eggs, and green
onion) reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Thicken with cornstarch and
turn off heat. Slowly pour in beaten eggs in a thin stream while stirring.
Serve immediately. Garnish with green onion.
If soup is to be prepared ahead of time, do not add cornstarch and eggs
until serving time. Otherwise the egg will be overcooked and spoil the
appearance. Soup should be quite hot and sour. Adjust the hotness with
varying amount of white pepper and the sourness with different amounts of
vinegar.