Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

Ingredients

• 4 Chinese dried black mushrooms
• ¼ cup dried Chinese lily buds
• 8 dried Chinese tree ears
• 1 cup hot water
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 cake Chinese tofu
• 6 ounces small shrimp, shelled, deveined and sliced in half lengthwise
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon hot chili oil
• 2 scallions, chopped

6 servings

Preparation

1. Place mushrooms, lily buds and tree ears in hot water and allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the water.
2. Discard the stems from the mushrooms and slice the caps. Cut away the hard ends of the lily buds and cut the tree ears in half.
3. Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan, add the soaking liquid, vinegar, soy sauce, mushrooms, lily buds and tree ears. Simmer for five minutes.
4. Dissolve cornstarch in cold water and stir into the soup. Slice the tofu and add, along with the shrimp. When the soup returns to a simmer dribble in the egg slowly, stirring constantly. Season soup with hot chili oil to taste, dust with scallions and serve.

45 minutes