Hot and Sour Soup Recipe-

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 dried Chinese fungi (about 1 ounce), such as wood ears (also called cloud ears)
• 1 -inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, sliced
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 pound barbecued pork, shredded
• 1/4 cup dark, mushroom flavored soy sauce
• 2 quarts Chinese Chicken Stock
• 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek
• 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon granulated white cane sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 square firm tofu, drained and sliced in 1/4-inch strips
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• For garnish: chopped cilantro leaves and green onions

Directions:

1. Boil some water. In a small bowl, place the wood ears and pour in enough boiling water to cover them. Let them reconstitute for about a half hour. Discard any tough clusters in the centers, then drain and rinse the rest of the wood ears.
2. Over medium high heat, heat the oil in a wok or large pot. Add in the wood ears, chili paste, ginger, pork, and bamboo shoots. Infuse the flavors together by cooking and stirring for one to two minutes.
3. In another bowl, combine the vinegar, pepper and salt, sugar, and soy sauce, then pour the mixture into the wok and mix all the ingredients together. The fragrance should by now have you delighted.
4. Now pour the Chinese Chicken Stock in, bring the soup up to a boil, and let it simmer for 10 – 12 minutes. Then add in the tofu and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
5. Take the cornstarch and dissolve it in the water, stirring until it is completely smooth textured. Then stir it into the soup and keep to simmering until your soup becomes nice and thick.
6. This next step is important and needs to be done exactly this way. Take the soup off of the burner and stir it in one direction—hard and fast enough to get a strong current going, then stop. Pour the beaten eggs in, slowly, in a steady stream, so it spins and feathers out and around in the broth. The eggs will be cooked almost immediately.
7. Before serving, garnish your hot and sour soup with the chopped cilantro and green onions.