Hot and Sour Soup

Photo by Katie Guymon

You know how some take-out hot and sour soups tend to be a little on the, well, mucous-y side? This recipe does not produce one of those soups. Instead, it's brothy and spicy, and, I've gotta believe, healthy. I turned up the heat by doubling tripling the amount of Sriracha. That made the soup a little too much for Matt; he'd rather avoid the "wicked heartburn." Well, more for me!

Hot and Sour Soup [recipe courtesy of Cuisine at Home]

-8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
-2 tablespoons light brown sugar
-2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
-2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
-1 tablespoon minced garlic
-1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce
-4 cups shredded Napa cabbage
-2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
-1 cup small-diced extra-firm tofu
-1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
-1 8 oz. can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
-1/4 cup rice vinegar
-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
-1 tablespoon cornstarch
-1/2 cup bias-sliced scallions

1. Combine broth, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and Sriracha in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

2. Add cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, bell pepper, and bamboo shoots; simmer 5 minutes.

3. Whisk together vinegar, lime juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl for the slurry to thicken the soup. Return soup to a boil and stir in slurry. Boil soup until it's slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.

4. Garnish soup with scallions.