Hot and Sour Soup

also called hot and sour soup · hot & sour soup · suan la tang · 酸辣湯 · 酸辣汤

Three ways to read this recipe

The table

Hot and Sour Soup: ingredients down the left, what to do with them across. Tap any cell to cross it off.
1/2 oz(15 g)dried wood ear mushroomssoak 20 min, drain and shredsimmer the stock 10 minseason — this is the sour and the hotslide the tofu in, thicken 2 minribbon the egg in off the heat
1/4 cup(10 g)dried lily buds
6 cups(1.4 L)chicken stock
4 oz(115 g; sliced)shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup(75 g; julienned)bamboo shoots
2 Tbslight soy sauce
3 Tbsblack vinegar
1 tsp(ground fine)white pepper
1/2 tspkosher salt
8 oz(225 g; cut in batons)firm tofu
3 Tbs(slaked in 1/4 cup cold water)cornstarch
2 large(beaten)eggs
1 tsptoasted sesame oil
3(thinly sliced)scallions
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.14 things to get out.

1soak 20 min, drain and shred

2simmer the stock 10 min

goes in with what step 1 made

3season — this is the sour and the hot

goes in with what step 2 made

4slide the tofu in, thicken 2 min

goes in with what step 3 made

5ribbon the egg in off the heat

goes in with what step 4 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 32 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
none givenof the steps that give a time

2 of the 5 steps never say how long they take, so both numbers are floors. The recipe itself says 45 min.

  1. soak 20 min, drain and shred

    20 minwalk awayfrom the start

  2. simmer the stock 10 min

    10 minwalk away20 min in

  3. season — this is the sour and the hot

    not timed30 min in

  4. slide the tofu in, thicken 2 min

    2 minwalk away30 min in

  5. ribbon the egg in off the heat

    not timed32 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them.

Goes with

See how it is written
>> title: Hot and Sour Soup
>> category: Soups
>> tags: tofu, mushrooms, eggs, chinese, stovetop
>> counters: Takeout Counter
>> aka: hot and sour soup, hot & sour soup, suan la tang, 酸辣湯, 酸辣汤
>> pairs-with: egg-rolls
>> servings: 6
>> time: 45 min
>> step.1: soak 20 min, drain and shred
>> step.2: simmer the stock 10 min
>> step.3: season — this is the sour and the hot
>> step.4: slide the tofu in, thicken 2 min
>> step.5: ribbon the egg in off the heat

Soak @dried wood ear mushrooms{1/2%oz}(15 g) and @dried lily buds{1/4%cup}(10 g) in hot water for ~soak{20%min}, then drain them, cut away any hard knots, and shred both.

Simmer @chicken stock{6%cups}(1.4 L) with @&(~1)soaked mushrooms{}, @shiitake mushrooms{4%oz}(115 g; sliced), and @bamboo shoots{1/2%cup}(75 g; julienned) for ~simmer{10%min}.

Season @&(~1)soup{} with @light soy sauce{2%Tbs}, @black vinegar{3%Tbs}, @white pepper{1%tsp}(ground fine), and @kosher salt{1/2%tsp}. The sour is Chinkiang vinegar and the hot is white pepper — no chile goes in, and both go in off a hard boil so neither cooks away.

Slide @firm tofu{8%oz}(225 g; cut in batons) into @&(~1)soup{} and thicken it with @cornstarch{3%Tbs}(slaked in 1/4 cup cold water), ~simmer{2%min}, until it is thick enough to hold a ribbon.

Stir @eggs{2%large}(beaten) into @&(~1)soup{} in a thin stream off the heat, wait 10 seconds, then finish with @toasted sesame oil{1%tsp} and @scallions{3}(thinly sliced).