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5 from 1 vote

Vegan Hot and Sour Soup

This vegan hot and sour soup is such a treat for the senses that I can never eat just one bowl. It’s aromatic, spicy, and filled with nourishing veggies of all different textures. And the tender tofu cubes make it substantial enough to be a meal on its own.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 8 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 lb brown mushrooms sliced
  • 1 lb House Foods brand firm tofu drained and cut into cubes
  • 1 can baby corn (14-oz) drained and chopped
  • 1 can bamboo shoots (14-oz) drained
  • 1 can water chestnuts (8-oz) drained
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger minced
  • 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups cabbage chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 6 Tablespoons rice vinegar *see note
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 10 sprigs cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Bring vegetable stock to a boil over medium heat
  • Add mushrooms, tofu, baby corn, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, ginger, soy sauce, and salt to the pot of stock. When pot returns to a boil, reduce to medium-low heat and add the cabbage.
  • In a cup or glass, combine the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water. Stir well to form a slurry. The cornstarch should be dissolved. Use a fork or whisk for best results.
  • Combine the white pepper and vinegar in a small bowl. Stir well.
  • When the cabbage is cooked, about 5 minutes after adding it, stir the cornstarch slurry into the pot of soup.
  • Remove the pot from the heat. Add the white pepper vinegar mixture and stir well.
  • Taste the soup. Add salt or vinegar as needed.
  • Serve hot and garnish generously with cilantro and sesame oil.

Notes

Be careful when measuring out the white pepper. 1 teaspoon of pepper makes for a spicy pot of soup. Reduce to ½ teaspoon if you prefer a milder soup.
This amount of starch will thicken the soup a bit, but if you want it thicker, as you’d get at a restaurant, you’ll need to add more. I recommend making a double batch of the cornstarch-water slurry and gradually adding it while stirring until it reaches the desired thickness.
I tested this recipe using unsalted rice vinegar with a 4.3% acidity. If you are using Chinkiang (Zhenjiang) vinegar you may not need as much. The same goes for Taiwanese black vinegar. Check the acidity and gradually add it until it’s sour to your liking.
Do not continue to heat the soup after you've added the vinegar and pepper. Doing so could cause the soup to become bitter.