My daughter and l love hot and sour soup. I had been looking for a while for a recipe that was simple, and had the right balance between hot and sour. Some were to hot others to sour, the balance has to be just right.
Most Americanized versions of the soup have cornstarch in it. There are no health benefits from the cornstarch, and it is only there to thicken the soup. Traditional Asian versions do not add the cornstarch. I have had it both ways; I actually prefer it with a thinner broth.
To me hot and sour soup is the Asian version of Chicken Noodle Soup. This tastes so good when you are sick and congested. The more congested I am, the spicier I make soup. If you have ever eaten Wasabi and had your nasal passages cleared out, hot and sour soup reacts the same way. It usually takes about ten to twenty minutes and you are breathing out of both nostrils.
There have been several articles written about the health benefits of eating the soup. The soup is typically lower in salt than chicken noodle. The tofu is a low fat wonderful way to add protein into your diet. This recipe does not have the traditional lily buds and for black fungus, I have chosen to use straw mushrooms. The only reason is this recipe is meant to be easy, quick and ingredients easy to find. I was thinking of my dear friends, Cheryl and Victor, living in rural Kansas when I put this together.
I do not use any meat in the soup; this is also the only time I can slip Tofu into the family diet without much protest. If you are an Ovo-lacto Vegan, you can replace the chicken broth for vegetable stock.
**One side note, when you purchase the tofu try to find it already cubed. This will cut one step and make the prep-time quicker**
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