Hot and sour soup
Hot and sour soup is the perfect balance of bold flavours — warming heat, tangy sharpness and deep savoury richness all in one comforting bowl. Inspired by classic Asian flavours, it’s surprisingly quick to make at home and uses simple ingredients to create something wonderfully aromatic and satisfying.
With tender vegetables, silky broth and just the right kick of spice, it’s ideal for chilly evenings, easy lunches or whenever you’re craving something soothing but full of character.
Once you’ve made it from scratch, you’ll find yourself coming back to this vibrant, flavour‑packed soup again and again. It’s a really popular choice from our local Chinese takeaway, and this homemade version tastes just as good
Hot and sour soup
Ingredients
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 tsp ginger puree
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped (if you like it hotter, you can leave the seeds)
- 1 tbsp dry sherry or shaoxing rice wine
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tin water chestnuts
- handful of frozen peas
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp chilli oil
- pinch of freshly ground white pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tbsp cornflour, blended with 2 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Pour the stock into a pan and bring to the boil. Add all the ingredients up to and including frozen peas and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium, add the soy sauce, vinegar, chilli oil, white pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the egg constantly stirring to ensure the egg breaks up, then add the blended cornflour and stir to thicken the soup (add more if you like a thicker consistency). Serve immediately.