Chinese Hot and Sour Soup is not an authentic Chinese recipe, but rather a typical American version of Chinese-American takeout restaurants. The Stay At Home Chef uses ingredients that are easily accessible for most people in the United States and Canada so that anyone can easily celebrate world cuisines even if their opportunities for travel or access to regional ingredients are limited.
What is tofu?
Tofu is a soybean product and is made by compressing curdled soy beans, very similar to how cheese is made. Tofu is high in protein and is often used as a meat replacement. Tofu has varying textures and levels of firmness depending on the protein content and how much water it contains.
What variety of tofu should I use?
Tofu is sold at various levels of firmness, starting from the softest: Silken, Extra Soft, Soft, Medium, Medium Firm, Firm, Extra Firm, and Super Firm. You may see all, or only some of these firmness levels in your grocery store. The firmness level is determined by how much water has been pressed out, so more firm versions contain the least amount of water content. In this recipe you want to use a firm tofu as it will absorb the most flavor while still holding its shape.
Is Chinese Hot and Sour Soup vegetarian?
As written, this recipe is not vegetarian due to the chicken broth. If desired, you can substitute with vegetable broth.
Spice Level:
You get to decide just how much spice you want in your soup by controlling the amount of sriracha. If you don’t tolerate heat well, stick with one teaspoon of sriracha. If you want to keep it spicy, use up to a whole tablespoon!
Can I add an egg?
Eggs in hot and sour soup is all about personal preference. Some prefer with eggs, and other prefer without. We have written the recipe without eggs, but you are welcome to slowly add one or two beaten eggs as the final step. If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious Chinese American recipes:
Takeout Chicken Stir Fry15 Minute Mongolian BeefGeneral Tso’s ChickenTakeout Style Beef Lo Mein
Watch the video below where Caytlin will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes. Δ Δ
