Hot and Sour Soup

We have been eating out A LOT less lately. Little one is just not restaurant friendly. I feel bad for the other people in the restaurant when they have to listen to his frustration but I mostly feel bad that little one is put in a situation that makes him uncomfortable. I’m ok with not going out as much but I start to miss the foods that husband and I used to go out for a few times a week. Enter this awesome recipe.

If you are anything like me you are more than likely boring when it comes to ordering Chinese. I have about five items that I can find on any menu and I always seem to order one of those items. I am a huge fan of hot and sour soup. Husband likes to pick up Chinese when I’m sick (his way of cooking) and hot and sour soup is my go-to soup. The spice is good for the sniffles and the broth is great for a sore throat.

In the past week I’ve heard husband making a few comments about going out for Chinese food. It may be selfish that I’m choosing one of my favorite foods from my menu of five but I feel like he’s still winning. I’m pairing this soup with some frozen eggrolls to add a little more fun to a weeknight meal. The flavor is great and the cost compared to ordering take out is huge. Let’s not forget that this recipe is low in sodium (depending on the broth you use) and it’s a snap to make. You will be amazed at how easy those egg shreds are to make!

I did make a few changes in this recipe. Instead of using raw chicken I keep some frozen rotisserie chicken in the freezer for recipes just like this. I used a can of sliced mushrooms instead of shiitake. I don’t feel that this change impacts the flavor too much but use shiitake if you have them. I omitted the sugar and tofu. I also substituted the white pepper with black. This recipe can be made in a slow cooker if you want to give the flavors extra time to form.

Enjoy!

2 cups beef broth

2 cups chicken broth

4 oz. shredded cooked chicken

1 cup mushrooms

½ cup shredded carrots

3 Tablespoons rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

½ teaspoon black pepper

3 Tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup water

½ cup water chestnuts

½ cup bamboo shoots

1 egg

In a small Dutch oven brig the beef broth and chicken broth to a simmer. Stir in chicken, mushrooms, carrots, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper. Return to a simmer and cook for about five minutes.

Put the cornstarch in a small bowl and add water stirring to dissolve. Stir the slurry into the soup and increase the heat stirring occasionally until slightly thickened. Reduce heat and add the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Return soup to a simmer.

In a small bowl beat the egg. Slowly drizzle the egg into the soup and stir gently. Cook for about thirty seconds or until the egg shreds look light and fluffy. Serve immediately. 

Adapted from The American Heart Association Low-Cal Cookbook