Shanghai-Style Hot and Sour Soup (Hushi Suanla Geng)

Name: Shanghai-Style Hot and Sour Soup (Hushi Suanla Geng)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp. vegetable oil; 1 ⁄ 4 cup hot bean sauce; 4 cups Chicken Stock; 1 tbsp. shaoxing jiu; 1 ⁄ 4 tsp. sugar; 1 ⁄ 8 tsp. freshly ground white pepper; Pinch of salt; 16 large peeled deveined shrimp, 12 butterflied (tails left on), 4 finely chopped; 1 ⁄ 4 lb. silken tofu, julienned; 1 ⁄ 2 cup drained canned bamboo shoots, julienned; 1 ⁄ 2 oz. dried wood ear mushrooms (about 2 medium or 1 large), soaked in water for 1 hour, rinsed and julienned; 6 small dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for 30 minutes, julienned; 2 large scallops, julienned; 2 tbsp. cornstarch; 2-3 tbsp. chinkiang vinegar; 2 scallions, finely chopped

Serves
serves 4

SAVEUR EDITORS

By SAVEUR Editors

Published on September 4, 2007

This rendition of hot and sour soup gets its sourness from chinkiang vinegar, a rice vinegar reminiscent of balsamic.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
¹⁄₄ cup hot bean sauce
4 cups Chicken Stock
1 tbsp. shaoxing jiu
¹⁄₄ tsp. sugar
¹⁄₈ tsp. freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of salt
16 large peeled deveined shrimp, 12 butterflied (tails left on), 4 finely chopped
¹⁄₄ lb. silken tofu, julienned
¹⁄₂ cup drained canned bamboo shoots, julienned
¹⁄₂ oz. dried wood ear mushrooms (about 2 medium or 1 large), soaked in water for 1 hour, rinsed and julienned
6 small dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for 30 minutes, julienned
2 large scallops, julienned
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2-3 tbsp. chinkiang vinegar
2 scallions, finely chopped

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Instructions

Step 1

Heat a large flat-bottomed wok over high heat until hot. Add oil, then bean sauce, and cook until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Add stock, wine, sugar, pepper, and salt; bring to a boil. Add butterflied shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside. Stir in chopped shrimp, tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and scallops; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 3 minutes.

Step 2

Stir cornstarch together with 3 tbsp. water in a bowl. Uncover wok, return soup to a boil, stir in cornstarch mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, and ladle soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with butterflied shrimp and scallions.

Heat a large flat-bottomed wok over high heat until hot. Add oil, then bean sauce, and cook until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Add stock, wine, sugar, pepper, and salt; bring to a boil. Add butterflied shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside. Stir in chopped shrimp, tofu, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and scallops; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 3 minutes.
Stir cornstarch together with 3 tbsp. water in a bowl. Uncover wok, return soup to a boil, stir in cornstarch mixture, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, stir in vinegar, and ladle soup into 4 bowls. Garnish with butterflied shrimp and scallions.