Recipe: Hot and Sour Soup!

I just LOVE a good Asian hot and sour soup, and I’ve just discovered the easiest recipe in the world for making it. In fact, it’s so easy, it takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish. Slivering the bamboo shoots into thin sticks was the longest part of the process. I like it hot, so I doubled the amount of chili-garlic sauce, but you can regulate that as you like! This is a low-calorie, low-fat, highly nutritious meal that will warm your innards, perfect for a cold, foggy summer’s night in San Francisco. Here’s how it’s done:

The Cast of Characters

Ingredients: 
– 6 dried wood-ear mushrooms (or any dried mushroom)
– 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
– 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
– 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
– 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
– 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
– 1/2 lb. reduced-fat soft tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
– 8 oz. can bamboo shoots, drained and thinly sliced
– 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
– 3 tablespoon water
– 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water
– Chopped scallion for garnish (optional)

The Process:
– Combine dried mushrooms with enough hot water to cover by 2 inches in a bowl; let stand 15 minutes, then drain.
– Bring the broth, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, vinegar and sesame oil to a boil. Add the drained mushrooms, tofu and bamboo shoots. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes.
– Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir in about a 1/4 cup of the hot liquid, then pour into soup.
– Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils and thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
– Remove from heat; slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the soup while stirring in a clockwise motion.
– Top with sliced scallion.

Voila! Asian Hot and Soup Soup!!!

Check out these healthy stats!
Serving Size: 1 1/3 cups
Calories per serving: 115
Fat per serving: 3.25g
Saturated fat per serving: .5g
Sugar per serving: 3.3g
Fiber per serving: 2.5g
Protein per serving: 8g
Cholesterol per serving: 0mg
Carbohydrates per serving: 19g