Hot and sour soup
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
5
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
10
MINUTES
CUISINE
COURSE
Main
Method
Heat a few tablespoons of toasted sesame oil in a large saucepan. Peel and grate the ginger and the garlic. A quick tip for you preparing fresh ginger, use a spoon to peel the fresh root. Simply grip a spoon by its head upside between your thumb and forefinger and use the head of the spoon to scrape away the skin. When I first saw Nigella Lawson do this a few years ago, it was a game-changer. It is quick and efficient, and only removes the skin, none of the flesh. Next, wash, trim and chop the spring onions, setting aside about a third for when you serve the dish.
Once the sesame oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add garlic and ginger. Sautee them for a minute or two, and then add the spring onion and the minced pork. Cook for about five minutes, stirring it occasionally to break up the minced pork a little. I like to leave some clumps of pork for texture and taste, so do not break it all up completely.
Cut the tofu into one-centimetre chunks. Slice the mushrooms, keep them a little thicker than normal, aim for about four slices per mushroom. Now add those, along with the vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper, sriracha, sugar. Bring the pot to a simmer for about five more minutes. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, and just before you are ready to serve, pour the egg into the soup and stir it through.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add more vinegar if you want to amp up the sourness and more sriracha if you want to increase the heat, just adjust it to your own taste.
Serve a big steaming bowl of this beautiful soup per person, finishing each bowl off with some of the remaining chopped spring onions, a sprinkle of white pepper and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Ingredients
3 cloves of garlic
2cm of fresh ginger
300g pork mince
6 spring onions
450g of firm tofu
200g chestnut mushrooms
1 litre chicken stock
3 tsp sugar
120ml rice wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp sriracha
100g of fresh spinach
3 eggs
White pepper and toasted sesame oil to finish
Method
Heat a few tablespoons of toasted sesame oil in a large saucepan. Peel and grate the ginger and the garlic. A quick tip for you preparing fresh ginger, use a spoon to peel the fresh root. Simply grip a spoon by its head upside between your thumb and forefinger and use the head of the spoon to scrape away the skin. When I first saw Nigella Lawson do this a few years ago, it was a game-changer. It is quick and efficient, and only removes the skin, none of the flesh. Next, wash, trim and chop the spring onions, setting aside about a third for when you serve the dish.
Once the sesame oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and add garlic and ginger. Sautee them for a minute or two, and then add the spring onion and the minced pork. Cook for about five minutes, stirring it occasionally to break up the minced pork a little. I like to leave some clumps of pork for texture and taste, so do not break it all up completely.
Cut the tofu into one-centimetre chunks. Slice the mushrooms, keep them a little thicker than normal, aim for about four slices per mushroom. Now add those, along with the vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper, sriracha, sugar. Bring the pot to a simmer for about five more minutes. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, and just before you are ready to serve, pour the egg into the soup and stir it through.
Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Add more vinegar if you want to amp up the sourness and more sriracha if you want to increase the heat, just adjust it to your own taste.
Serve a big steaming bowl of this beautiful soup per person, finishing each bowl off with some of the remaining chopped spring onions, a sprinkle of white pepper and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
