Sichuan hot and sour soup (Suan La Tang)

Ingredients

• 3 dried shiitake mushrooms - soaked in hot water and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup - dried black fungus (wood ear mushroom), soaked in hot water and thinly sliced
• 50 g - pork, cut into pieces
• 4 bamboo shoots, finely grated
• 1/3 carrot - grated
• 1 piece of ginger root, grated
• 3 tbsp - black vinegar
• 2 tsp - freshly ground white pepper
• 5 cups - unsalted chicken broth
• 50 g - soft tofu
• 2 tbsp - light soy sauce
• 1 tsp - dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp - salt to taste
• 1/2 tbsp - sugar
• 1 large egg, beaten
• sesame oil for drizzling
• chopped scallions and cilantro

Marinating the Pork

• 2 tsp - light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp - sugar
• 1 tsp - starch
• 1/4 tsp - salt

For Thickening / Starch Water

• 3 tbsp - cornstarch or other starch
• 3 tbsp - water

Instructions

1. Prepare the pork, marinate the pieces in light soy sauce, sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Mix well.
2. In a wok, add carrots, bamboo shoots, black fungus, shiitake mushrooms, and ginger. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Add grated tofu, then the pork pieces, and gently stir with chopsticks as the mixture begins to boil again.
5. Stir the starch water and pour it into the soup. Heat until thickened.
6. Pour in the beaten egg. For smaller "flowers," stir faster; for larger ones, stir slower.
7. Add black vinegar and white pepper, immediately turn off the heat.
8. Add chopped scallions and cilantro. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve warm.

Video Recipe Tutorial