Hot and Sour Soup - 酸辣汤 (Fānqié Suān là tāng)

 

There are as many different variations of this soup as there are fires in Asia, this one is anglicized using ingredients available to me here in the Great White North. The tomato is my addition it is not authentic to any of the recipes I have seen.

Serves 6

16 ounces rice stick - 米粉 (Mǐfěn)

8 dried straw mushroom, (草菇 (Gāncǎo gu)

3 ribs celery, diagonally sliced

4 cups stock (beef, vegetable, chicken or pork)
2 handfuls greens, (spinach, bok choy etc.)

2 cups frozen stir fry mixed vegetables (or blanched fresh vegetables)

2 cups water
1 28 ounce can dice tomatoes

2 teaspoon Chinese chilli paste , (中国的辣椒酱 (Zhōngguó de làjiāo jiàng)

1 tablespoon garlic paste

juice of 2 lime

1tablespoon gf soy sauce
1teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons corn starch

3 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil ,(烤香油 (Kǎo xiāngyóu)

5 green onions, diagonally sliced

In a bowl pour boiling water over dry rice stick until completely covered, let sit for at least 5 minutes, drain.

Soak the mushrooms for at least 30 minutes until it becomes soft, slice 1/4”

Thaw the frozen vegetables by running under room temp water, drain.

In 6 large soup bowls divide the noodles,

then greens 

and then vegetables, 

set aside until soup is done.

In a large saucepan add stock, tomatoes with juice and water in a pot, add bring it to boil. Add mushrooms. Boil for 3 minutes, then put it celery, lime juice, sugar, garlic paste, soy sauce, and chilli paste.

Mix the corn starch with water, and pour it into the soup. Stir the soup until it is lightly thickened.
Return soup to a boil (if using egg, add at this time), add sesame oil to soup.

Pour the boiling soup over the vegetable and noodle in the bowls, 

top with each  with chopped green onion and serve immediately.

Optional ingredients

-cooked meat, sliced thin (chicken, beef or pork)

-seafood

-4 dry kiffar lime leaves, (or zest of 1 lime)

-cubed tofu

-egg

To add egg to your soup; beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water for every egg.
Add the egg mixture only the corn starch, water slurry has thicken the soup and bring the soup back to boil before you pour the egg in. Drizzle the egg into the soup in a very small stream; don't pour the egg all at once.) 

Per Serving : 162 Calories; 10g Fat (49.6% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 221mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrates.