Hot and Sour Chicken Soup

Hot and sour soup is a must-have when the fall and winter chill sets in! Its amazing flavors and warm spices are just what you need to fight off the cold and feel cozy inside. You’ve got your chicken, vegetables of your choice, and mushrooms all blending to create a fun mix of textures and tastes that will get your taste buds dancing!

A perfect punch of heat and tanginess not only wakes up your palate but also gives your senses a little kick. Trust me, there’s nothing like sharing a bowl of this soul-soothing soup with friends and family during those colder days—it brings everyone together.

What goes into hot and sour soup?

Chicken Stock
Just like any other soup we need a base to work with. I boiled chicken quarters with 2 chicken cubes for about 25 minutes to make chicken stock. Once the chicken was cooked I took it out and shredded it to use later.

You can also use store-bought chicken or beef stock and pre-cooked shredded chicken.

Vegetables
Any vegetables of your choice will work for this recipe.

I used frozen peas, carrots and sweet corn. I also used canned mushrooms. Feel free to use fresh or dried mushrooms but canned work just fine, as they require minimum effort.

I don’t like adding any bell peppers but if you like the taste then bell peppers are also a good option.

Many restaurants also add bamboo shoots, if you can find some then I strongly suggest giving it a try.

Seasoning
I used soy sauce, vinegar, salt, black pepper, and red chili flakes to season the soup.

You can adjust the flavoring to your liking and taste.

Corn starch
You’ll need cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Mix cornstarch with 1/2 a cup of water to make a cornstarch slurry and then slowly add to the soup while stirring to avoid any lumps.