Recipe: Hunan Garden II Chang's Hot and Sour Soup

Chang's Hot and Sour Soup
From: Hunan Garden II, Alabaster, Alabama (suburb of Birmingham). Source: Birmingham News, 3-23-94
Servings: 10

1 tablespoon Woodear strips Soaked in water about 4 hours
1/2 cup Sliced fresh mushrooms
5 ounces Bean curd (about 1/3 of a 1 lb Package -- cut in thin One-inch slices)
1/2 cup Bamboo shoots
2 teaspoons Salt
2 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
4 1/2 tablespoons Soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon White pepper
3/4 teaspoon Chinese red hot pepper Sauce
10 tablespoons Vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Sesame oil
1 tablespoon Cornstarch blended with 4 tablespoons water
1/2 cup Thin strips of fresh pork
3 or 4 Beaten eggs
10 cups Chicken broth
Chopped green onions for
Garnish, if desired

Heat chicken broth to boiling. Add pork strips, bamboo shoots, Woodear (drained), bean curd, and mushrooms.

Return to boiling and add salt, soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, red pepper sauce, and vinegar, stirring all along.

Continue boiling for a total cooking time of 20 minutes.

Stir in cornstarch mixture and keep stirring until soup is thickened.

Pour beaten eggs gently over the top. Turn off the heat and stir eggs gently into soup. Add sesame oil.

Spoon into bowls and serve topped with chopped green onions if desired.