Easy Hot and Sour Soup
So much tastier (and FASTER) than delivery! 30 min start to finish. Made with homemade wonton strips. SO SO GOOD.
It’s been a cold winter here in Los Angeles. One of the coldest, really.
Then, it was 71 degrees F yesterday afternoon! Yet all I wanted was this entire pot of soup. This warm, cozy, hot and sour soup without ever having to leave the house at all.
And you know what? This homemade version turned out to be so stinking amazing – so easy and so much faster than delivery. No joke.
Made in 30 min from start to finish, this was absolute perfection. And I served it with all the crispy wonton strips.
SIDE NOTE: These homemade wonton strips definitely take the soup to its next level goodness. Please do not skimp on these bad boys.
Easy Hot and Sour Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 3 3.5-ounce packages fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
- 7 cups chicken stock
- 1 8-ounce can sliced bamboo shoots, drained and cut into slivers
- ½ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup seasoned rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 8-ounce package firm tofu, drained and cubed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the crispy wonton strips
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 12-ounce package won ton wrappers, cut into strips
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Working in batches, add won ton strips to the Dutch oven and fry until evenly golden brown and crispy, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; set aside.
- Heat canola oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Stir in garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in mushrooms until wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in chicken stock, bamboo shoots, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce and pepper.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Stir in tofu.
- Stir in cornstarch mixture, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Gradually add egg in a slow steady stream, stirring with a fork. Cook until the eggs are set, stirring frequently to create ribbons, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat; stir in green onion and sesame oil.
- Serve immediately with won ton strips.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
What kind of Seasoned Rice Vinegar do you use?
Absolutely delicious! So easy too! I used bone broth and 2 eggs. Will make again and again
This is absolutely delicious!
Yes. I absolutely love this recipe. It is delicious.
I followed the recipe closely since I am new to working with tofu and Asian food in general. The soup was amazing but it didn’t say when to put in the tofu. Being a novice and not having noticed when I read through the directions several times before starting, I was in a mad dash to search other recipes to figure it out on the fly. Otherwise, I added thinly sliced red radish and thinly sliced boneless pork and the recipe went smoothly. Will be adding this one to the keeper files!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Christine! The tofu is added in step 7.
7. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Stir in tofu.
Looks yummy! Definitely no to tofu and yes to chicken instead!
Wow, very impressed with this recipe! Thanks so much for providing it for us. I followed the recipe closely and was amazed by the deep, delicious flavors. Shiitake mushrooms rule!
Do so good! My husband and I were constantly making “yum” sounds. It took me a month to get shitakes so when I found them today I was excited to make this after work. Absolutely delicious! I will be making this regularly (when I can get shitakes). The only thing that made me slightly shake my head was the 15 minute prep time lol. But I wouldn’t pay almost twice the price for sliced mushrooms.
Yum! We love this. Even better on second day!
Do you have nutritional information for this recipe?
Excellent recipe! Didn’t have bamboo shoots or shiitake, but made with handful of button mushrooms, cabbage, carrots and celery!delicious!
I made this tonight for dinner. I added very thin slices of pork loin and sautéed those up with the garlic and ginger. My husband said it was better than either of the Vietnamese restaurants that we frequent. I totally agree. It was delicious served with a pile of fried wonton strips!! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Absolutely the best ever. Deep flavor and awesome just-right heat. Some viewers seem to think the won ton wrappers are made from scratch ~ I assumed you were talking about ready-made. I can’t imagine MAKING won tons!
Big Yummy. I didn’t have bamboo shoots or tofu so I used rice noodles. It was really really good. This is now my go to, hankering for Chinese or soup, recipe!
I hate fish sauce and I always just add in extra soy sauce instead, sometime a little lime as well!
I made this recipe for my family and it turned out better than the restaurant version. I will definitely share and make this again. Everyone loved it!
This is a tasty soup
This soup is Double Damn Delicious!! I’ve missed Panda’s soup, but no longer. Your recipe tastes EXACTLY like theirs. My husband and I both slurped it down like ravenous dogs! A definite keeper!!
Turned out great!! Had to make a minor modification due to allergies, omitted the fish sauce, added diced orange peppers, and bok choy. Also cooked it a little longer and it got spicier. I will make it again!
I have made this several times, and saved this site. It looks like the recipe has changed a bit. I remember just using Sirracha and not the Chile garlic sauce. Was this a modification, or am I not remembering correctly?
You are remembering correctly. I’ve saved and printed the original recipe so I don’t lose it. Basically the same, but the previous one didn’t have fish sauce, bamboo shoots, or Chile sauce.
Does this freeze well? before adding the egg and wontons of course.
Okay so, am I the only one who’s squeamish about using fish sauce? Is fish sauce absolutely necessary?
If so, what is the best brand (best quality)?
I’d say red boat is a definite favorite. A little goes a long way and the umami it gives is well worth having.
Fish sauce adds NO fishy flavor. Do not hesitate to use it. If you ever order out for Asian food it is probably already in just about everything you are eating
Hot and Sour Soup is one of my favorite dishes, when done right. I’ve tried every recipe I could find to make this at home without success UNTIL I tried this recipe. It’s delicious! I skipped the wonton wrappers (just don’t care for them in soup) but proceeded as written otherwise…very, very good…yummy. Makes a very nice pot of soup and more than enough for a second or third day of leftovers which is good because this recipe is actually better on the second day. Just love this recipe!
Great recipe, we make it all the time!
Has this recipe been updated recently? Some of the ingredients seem to call for different amounts now and some of the method seems different than I remember.
Delicious!!!! I’ve made this twice already because my family loooooves it! I never thought I’d be able to make my own hot and sour soup but you made it so simple. I followed the recipe to the T and it’s just as good, if not better, then any Chinese restaurant! I make dumplings on the side and it’s the perfect meal! This is definitely a staple for us now. Thank you!!!
Can I substitute vegetable broth for the chicken?
Of course! I’m not the OP but that would be perfectly fine. Chicken broth is traditional but it would taste very close to the same and be vegetarian minus the fish sauce. The fish sauce I think would make a difference. I made this exactly except I used 2 less cups of broth. It came out perfect!
Love this recipe, reminds me of my favorite place in the Bay Area that I haven’t had in 3+ years since moving away! Thanks for this and all your great recipes 🙂
I cannot believe how easy this was and how delicious. I subbed GF Soy Sauce to make it gluten free and added a little extra chili garlic sauce for extra kick. This came together in 20 min. So quick and delicious.
We love your soup thanks for sharing.
Looks great. After reading reviews I will add try with adding more heat, pork strips and bamboo shoots.
I want to know the carbs. You say nutritional information added at the end of the recipe, I don’t see it. Thank you
So friggin good! I was eating this tonight wishing it was raining outside and I didn’t feel well (not really). This is my new chicken noodle soup. That delicious flavorful soup that just makes you feel better.
my favorite soup ….. looks amazing
problem: you mention NOT to forget the important HOMEMADE WONTON STRIPS
NOT INCLUDED IN RECIPE ???
now, I need the wontons BEFORE I make the soup
please ….. thank you
It is the very first item in the recipe.♀️
What about the crispy won tons???
The first step of the recipe.
I have not made the soup yet but it looks AMAZING! Quick dumb question: where is the recipe or directions for the homemade won ton strips? Cannot seem to find that and I definitely want to include them in the final product.
So good!!! Is there a recipe available for the homemade wonton strips?
This is a killer recipe! I’ve made this at least a dozen times now. I do add some thin strips of pork too, and sometimes I will add some dried fungus from the Asian market if I have it on hand. My family absolutely loves this. It can be a great side for a Asian feast, or sometimes I make it as a main dish and maybe make a side of potstickers. I’ve passed this recipe to every person I’ve ever made it for too, as they think it is fabulous too!
Ahhmazing. Simple recipe, and incredibly tasty. I love all things spicy so I increased the ginger and Sriracha just a bit. I also am not a fan of cornstarch so I reduced to just a scant tablespoon. Thank you!!
This soup is amazing! Just curious though, you say 6 servings. How large is a serving? I would like to avoid manually measuring the finished product if you have the information already. If not, I guess I will have to.
Chungah this soup is Damn Delicious ! It is absolutely the best Hot & Sour Soup I’ve ever had . Outstanding recipe, easy to follow and absolutely amazing. I’ve made it twice & heaven knows I’ll make it many more times . Can’t wait to cook some of your other recipes .
GREAT
I love this soup and have made it twicc. I forage my own oyster mushrooms and wood ears for this recipe. i always increase the onions, garlic, and vinegar, plus throw some red chili flakes in for extra hot. Thanks for posting, it is damn delicious!!
My soup was amazing!!! I will make it again!
Thanks for the recipe!
Absolutely the best recipe for Hot & Sour soup!!! I was so impressed- it was easy to make and totally delicious. I didn’t have to try to find obscure ingredients like dried lotus roots or wood ear mushrooms. I absolutely loved this and so did my family. I didn’t have Sriracha, so I used chinese chili oil instead and it was great. I’m so happy because there are no good places for this soup near me, and now I can make it easily and more healthy at home. Thanks!
Very nice soup any day of the week!
I just used more sriracha – like it spicer!
This was amazing. I love this soup and always order it when we order Chinese take out. I had no idea how easy it was. I followed the recipe to a T and it came out fabulous! Thank you!
Good presentation of the recipe. I eat a lot of this soup, but I always bought it. I am gathering the components and I will make it myself. With your help, I will be just fine 🙂
Quick question. though – I would like to know the recipe for the typical dry noodles that are coming with the soup, when bought….
Thank you
Hi Daniela! Typically there are no noodles included in a traditional hot and sour soup.
I added my small pieces of freshly made garlic chicken in the soup instead of tofu. My soup did not thicken a lot but it had excellent flavor and I enjoyed it a lot. This was quick and easy.
Thanks, Sue!
So…my husband is sick with a cold and I needed a quick hot’n’sour soup for him. I made this in a double batch the first time, gone in a day. Made another single batch today and added a few things (1) grated carrot (2) fresh/rice noodles (3) diced up fresh spinach & (4) McCormick Siracha Seasoning. Oh dear God….
He finished off 3 bowls of it and is not sleeping like a baby. I shared it on facebook and now friends are making it, since it is cold and flu season after all.
Seriously going to be a staple in our home even when we are all healthy lol~
this recipe is REALLY like a restaurant. I added some more mushrooms, red cabbage, and used a little more garlic and vinegar. but I will make this recipe again and again!
No more need for takeout! This recipe is great! I’m planning to add more broth, mushrooms, green onions and sub the sriracha with chili paste/oil to tweak it to our tastes but seriously, this was fantastic as is.
Fabulous! I addded shrimp and cabbage!
OMG! Just made this for 1st time and I literally PIGGED….what else you got up your sleeves? And no, my husband’s not getting any mine mine mine
You are right. Better than take out! Made it in 20 minutes and it was a wow! Hope the leftovers taste as good. Thank you so much.
I made this today. It is very good. The one thing I will change next time is cutting WAY back on the ginger. It overpowered the taste of the soup. If you are a ginger lover, this won’t bother you….if not, like me I will cut the ginger in half or eliminate it altogether. This is a fast and easy recipe. I added a few shrimp in the pot too!!!
This was fantastic. I added a little more vinegar and chili sauce for kick but otherwise made mostly as written. Thanks!
Snowy spring day and made this for the first time. Everything was delicious and super easy. I was out of rice wine vinegar so I subbed apple cider. No issues there. Also, we’re not big on tofu in this house so I used chicken instead. Will definitely keep this in the rotation.
This sounds wonderful! I love-love hot and sour soup and my husband has always wanted to try it but he has a mushroom allergy (so sad cuz mushrooms are awesome!). I’d like to make this for him, adding a meat as a protein but I can’t think of anything that would substitute for the mushrooms. There really isn’t one….. Is there??
You can try to add ground beef but I have never tried it myself so I can’t really say for sure – sorry!
I made this soup and I have to say this is one of the best soups I have ever eaten. Delicious!! My only regret is that I didn’t make a double batch!!
Can you use portobello mushrooms instead of shitake? Just curious..
Yes.
I made this for dinner last night and it was a huge it! My husband who works nights just called to tell me how much he liked it (he had the leftovers for lunch today). I added an extra table spoon of vinegar, an extra tea spoon of Sriracha and a can of bamboo shoots that I julienned for some crunch. Damn delicious!
This was so easy to make and takes so much cheaper and better than the restaurant. Hubby kept saying how wonderful it was and he loved it, which is surprising because he is not a soup lover. Will be going into the regular dinner rotation. Definitely a keeper! Thank you!
Hello! Can you please tell me if the eggs get fully cooked in this soup? I can’t have raw eggs so I wanted to be sure before I tried making it! (I’ve never put eggs in soup like this before…) Thank you!!
Yes, the eggs cook through.
Very good recipe, though I never tried with tofu (as I don’t like that)…with small slices of chicken or pork, it’s just perfect.
I sometimes added other vegetables, like white onions, carrots, tomatoes, zucchini or soybean sprouts…always with excellent results (though you could argue this will be a different kind of soup…but these are all ingredients that are commonly available in China, and that don’t really change very much to the overall flavour of the soup, but make it even more filling…anyway I have at each try been happy with the result).
I would however not omit sesame oil, which seems to be an essential ingredient to me.
I am not using sriracha, but I add white pepper and rice vinegar at the end (just before serving)…that leads to a much more intense hot & sour taste.
Eggs can be omitted, but it will of course not be the same soup anymore.
It will still be excellent – I can confirm, because I tried it – but a little bit different.
As for freezing this soup, I would not suggest that, as eggs and cornstarch will cause problems in the process.
I would rather try – though I never did so far – to freeze the soup without those two ingredients, and then add them when reheating the whole thing.
Rice vinager vs apple cider?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I’m going to make this to go with the Pioneer woman’s Thai Noodle recipe and some egg rolls. That will be my Sunday dinner. I love this soup and I’m making it minus the tofu. Substituting chicken. I’ll let you know how my homemade Chinese dinner goes over to family. Thank you for this simple, easy to make recipe. I keep all of these ingredients plus some in my kitchen everyday. So all I have to do is cook it. Thank you once again.
hi Chungah,
do you have a preference when you buy chicken broth, I don’t seem to find a particular one I like, and you can spoil a soup with a mediocre chicken broth.
I actually do not have a preferred brand.
I made this tonight for supper. OMG was it ever so good! I ended up using half veggie broth because I didn’t have enough chicken stock. Definitely a keeper! Thank you for sharing.
Hi CHUNGAH ,
Please let if no if there is any substitute of sesame oil because i could not find this nearby groceries shops.
You can omit.
Can you freeze this soup?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
Made this yesterday for lunch, and it was great! I love a good hot & sour soup, but most restaurant versions are painfully salty and not hot or sour enough for me. This has a great depth of flavor that doesn’t need a ton of sodium, and I was able to punch up the spice and sour to my own taste. My skeptical boyfriend, who swears by a popular chain’s version, said this was “actually pretty good”.
We made it and it was great!!! Thank you!!!
Can I replace RIce vinegar with apple cider vinegar?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Made for dinner tonight, ohhhhh so good. I made it exactly a printed. My tummy is so full and happy. Thanks so much for sharing. Ordered your book, so excited to get it.
If I use ground chicken or turkey, Do I cook the meat first before adding to the soup?
Yes.
OMG! Just made this soup. It is as easy as it says. I like heat so I added red pepper flakes when I added the garlic. I also added hot chili sesame oil instead of regular sesame oil. This is amazing. Thank you so much.
Damn Delious is a understatement. This soup fed my soul. Thank yo you so much for the fast and easy meal.
I made this last night and it was delicious! I was wondering about adding extra vinegar. When would be a good time to do this – just add it to the cornstarch mixture?
Yes, that should work!
Every time your’s new recipe makes my mouth full with water. Being a foodie i love to learn making new sort of recipes. Will try in upcomming sunday. 🙂
I love homemade takeout dishes! They are one of the biggest loves in my household 🙂
Oh goodness…I am making this tonight!
Thanks for the recipe and I agree with you, never too many mushrooms!!
This is one of my mom’s favorite soups! I need to try this recipe
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Made this for Meatless Monday supper – with Avocado Toast. Delicious! I used less (1/2tsp)
hot sauce and 1/2 tsp oil and it was perfect for our not too spicy taste.
I have some frozen freeze dried woodear mushrooms.Can I use these mushrooms with your recipes?Do I boil them first,before adding to the mixture?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
I just made this for lunch!!! AMAZINGLY EASY AND SUPER DELICIOUS!! Thank you so much for sharing!!! 🙂
How many calories?
The nutritional information has been added below the recipe.
Can you sauté the mushrooms and tofu first? Ive never had this soup before but am worried they would be rubbery if just boiled
Yes, you can.
So I just made this and decide to follow the recipe exactly as you said because after all you’re the expert, so no sauté and it was delish!!! Not rubbery!!! Thanks Chica
Sounds delicious ….. do you have the nutrition for this recipe? i.e. calories, protein, carbs?
The nutritional information has been added below the recipe.
This Soup looks scrumptiously delicious. Thanks!
Wow that certainly is easy. Fantastic recipe! (:
I love this recipe! It looks like a perfect weeknight meal. Thanks for sharing.
What am I use instead of tofu. Hate the stuff and I don’t think that it is healthy as some think ..my choice…I follow you regularly and love your recipes..
You can substitute chicken or pork.
I just made the soup, and I used chicken instead of tofu. I have tried several hot and sour soup recipes before, and never liked the outcome. This was fantastic! I will definitely make it again, and will serve it to company with no hesitation. thank you for the recipe!!!
I will def make this, I love hot and sour soup! I always get it out , but to make it fresh, I can’t wait! Thank you for all your good recipes ,and they are so easy, keep up the good work!
Thanks so much, this looks great! Would the recipe be compromised by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to make it vegetarian?
Not at all!
I’m definitely going to try this! Not to minimize your ‘cold’, but as a Canadian who is used to -20 to -40 weather, I’d kill for your cold !
This looks great! Even though it’s 70 degrees here in Arizona, I’ve been craving soup. I don’t have fresh ginger, so can I use ground? I would use 1 teaspoon because the ratio of dried to fresh is about 1:3. Thanks!
Yes, that should work! Although if you’re not the biggest fan of ginger, I would start with 1/2 tsp and add more, to taste.
Can the eggs be omitted with the same results?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
THANK YOU!! Looks sooooo good!
I liked it, but it’s missing that chicken or broth flavor in the liquid…can I add shredded chicken after it’s made when I heat it up?
I used chicken bone broth and chicken broth to make the 6 cups..could this be the reason why?
Can you add carrot sticks after cooked?
Does the sour part come from the rice vinegar?
Sorry need help..any input would greatly be appreciated!