- Recipes By Diet
- Vegetarian Soups
By
Updated on 07/22/21
Tested by
Diana Andrews
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Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4to 6 servings
Yield: 8 cups
83 ratings
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Chinese hot and sour soup is a light meal or accompaniment that can be enjoyed at any time of day.
This soup recipe combines mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, garlic, green onions,and chili oil, resulting in an authentic dish that vegans and vegetarians (or anyone else for that matter) can enjoy. It's warm, nourishing, and oh-so-delicious.
Make a batch the next time you want to warm up with something hot on a cold day. It's especially welcome if you've got a head cold, as it can really help open your sinuses.
If you order hot and sour soup at a restaurant, it will often be made with meat stock and may contain shredded or minced pork or chicken. Vegan vegetable broth or stock is a great substitution, and the soup has plenty of flavor without meat. If you want to boost the protein or simply make the soup more hearty, add somefried tofuor seitan.
"This delicious, comforting soup comes together quickly and easily with the benefit of being not only vegetarian, but also vegan. You won’t miss the meat since the hearty mushrooms effortlessly replace it. The soup is well-balanced, and you can control the heat level by adding hot sauce and chili oil to your taste." —Diana Andrews
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
6 cups vegetable broth
2 cups sliced mushrooms, such as Chinese wood ear mushrooms or shiitake
1 (8-ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free), more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce, more to taste
2 tablespoons vinegar, more to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions, more for garnish
1 teaspoon chili oil, more to taste
Steps to Make It
Gather the ingredients.
In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer and add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, soy sauce, pepper, hot sauce, vinegar, and garlic. Allow to simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Add the scallions to the pot and simmer for about 5 more minutes.
Stir in the chili oil.
Add additional soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, and chili oil to taste. Serve garnished with scallions, if desired.
Tip
Any mushrooms will do in this recipe, but Chinese wood ear mushrooms or shiitake work best. While shiitake mushrooms are readily available fresh in almost any grocery store, Chinese wood ear mushrooms may take a little more effort to procure. Also called Auricularia black fungus mushrooms, these mushrooms can be purchased dried from many online retailers. Just be sure to give the mushrooms time to soak if you are going to buy them dried.
Recipe Variation
- Thicker Hot and Sour Soup: This recipe makes a thinner broth soup. If you prefer a thicker consistency, combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water. Mix well and add to the soup after it has cooked for 20 minutes. Simmer the soup for 5 minutes, stirring as it thickens. Once thickened, add the green onions and simmer 5 more minutes.
- Add in more veggies, such as carrots, broccoli, or peas, if you desire.
How to Store and Freeze
- Refrigerate any leftover soup once it has cooled and leave at room temperature for no more than 2 hours. It will last in the fridge for up to three days.
- You can freeze individual servings of the soup to keep on hand when needed.
- Simply microwave or reheat any leftovers or frozen soup in a saucepan over medium heat and enjoy it hot.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
---|---|
87 | Calories |
1g | Fat |
17g | Carbs |
4g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 4to 6 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 87 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 1g | 2% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 1% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 970mg | 42% |
Total Carbohydrate 17g | 6% |
Dietary Fiber 3g | 11% |
Total Sugars 5g | |
Protein 4g | |
Vitamin C 7mg | 36% |
Calcium 29mg | 2% |
Iron 1mg | 8% |
Potassium 540mg | 11% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Recipe Tags:
- Mushroom
- appetizer
- chinese
- back to school
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I don't like this at all.It's not the worst.Sure, this will do.I'm a fan—would recommend.Amazing! I love it!Thanks for your rating!