Hot and Sour Soup

The winter is here, so runny noses, sore throats and coughs are lingering all the time! It never ends. These days they seem to pass the cold and flu to each other. One gets better, then the other is sick. As soon as I hear that first cough, I make a huge pot of chicken stock. That chicken stock is used as a base for all of the soups they drink. This hot and sour soup is always on the top of their favourite’s list. They eat this by the bowlful and I love how this soup is filled with chicken and vegetables, so it is great for recovering little ones. 

When I have grilled or boiled chicken lying around, then this soup is ready in literally 15 minutes. There is no excuse not to make this hot and sour soup. 

Preparation Time 10 minutes 

Cook Time 15 minutes 

Serves 4

Ingredients 

4 cups chicken stock 

125 grams chicken- shredded 

3/4 cup carrots- thinly sliced 

1 green pepper- thinly sliced 

1/2 cup cabbage- shredded thinly 

2 ping onions- sliced- separated 

4 tablespoons soy sauce 

2 tablespoons chilli sauce 

2 tablespoon vinegar 

1 tablespoons chilli garlic sauce 

1 teaspoon white pepper 

2 tablespoons brown sugar 

1 teaspoon sesame oil 

Salt- to taste 

1 egg- whisked

4 tablespoons corn starch- mixed in 1/4 cup water. 

Instructions 

1. Bring the stock to a simmer. Add the soy sauce, chilli sauce, vinegar, chilli garlic sauce, white pepper, brown sugar, sesame oil and around 1/4 teaspoon of salt. The salt can be adjusted later. 

2. Add the chicken, carrots, peppers, cabbage and white parts of the spring onions. 

3. Bring the soup to a boil and add the corn starch slurry.  Lower the heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until thickened. 

4. Turn the heat off and slowly add the egg. Let it sit for a minute then stir it in. Simmer the soup on a low heat for a further 2-3 minutes. 

5. Serve with prawn crackers.