Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1/4 lb julienned lean pork or 1/4 lb chicken (optional)
• 2 tablespoons garlic and red chili paste
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3  tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
• 1 can peeled straw mushrooms
• 1 can sliced bamboo shoots
• 1 can sliced water chestnuts
• 1 can baby sweet corn cobs
• 1/2 lb soft tofu, sliced into 1/8 inch strips
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• finely chopped scallions or green onions ( to garnish)
• salt as required

Directions

1. Bring stock to a simmer, add soy sauce, pork, mushrooms& chili paste, simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add meat, pepper, vinegar, bamboo, baby corn, water chestnuts, fungus and tofu, simmer 10 min Mix cornstarch with 3 tbsp water and add.
3. Bring back to a simmer and pour the eggs in a very thin stream over the surface.
4. Let stand for 10 seconds before gently stirring in the sesame oil.
5. Serve with a garnish of chopped scallions.
6. Side note - I often double the solid ingredients for a fuller soup.