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Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu

Name: Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu
Prep time: 14 min
Total time: 14 min
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients: low-sodium beef broth — 1420 g; shiitake mushrooms — 227 g; bean sprouts — 227 g; ginger — 15 g; garlic — 9 g; firm tofu — 397 g; rice wine vinegar — 33 g; soybean soy sauce — 44 g; white pepper — 5 g; chili-garlic sauce — 15 g; cornstarch — 44 g; eggs — 200 g; dark sesame oil — 5 g; scallions — 300 g; salt — 5 g

Hot and Sour Soup with Tofu reads umami 5.8, salinity 4.9 and allium 4.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 14 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.6 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 1.9 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.6 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.6 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.8 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.8 · Salinity 4.9 · Allium 4.2 · Richness 3.9 · Sourness 3.4 · Nutty 3.1 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Heat 2.7 · Earthy 2.5 · Warm Spice 2.2 · Herbaceous 2.1 · Sweetness 1.7 · Floral 1.2 · Fruity 0.9 · Bitterness 0.7

What's in it (15)

low-sodium beef broth — 1420 g
shiitake mushrooms — 227 g
bean sprouts — 227 g
ginger — 15 g
garlic — 9 g
firm tofu — 397 g
rice wine vinegar — 33 g
soybean soy sauce — 44 g
white pepper — 5 g
chili-garlic sauce — 15 g
cornstarch — 44 g
eggs — 200 g
dark sesame oil — 5 g
scallions — 300 g
salt — 5 g

Time & effort: about 14 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 48.8 kcal, 4.5 g protein, 2.1 g fat, 3.5 g carbs

Dietary: Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

In a large pot, combine the broth, sliced shiitake mushrooms, bamboo shoots, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the broth is fragrant, 8 minutes.
Add the tofu matchsticks and simmer gently, stirring only occasionally so the tofu doesn't break apart, 3 minutes.
Stir in the rice vinegar, soy sauce, white pepper, and chili garlic sauce; taste and add more vinegar or white pepper if you want it sharper.
Whisk the cornstarch slurry again to recombine, then stir it into the soup. Simmer, stirring, until the soup thickens to a light gravy and turns glossy, about 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat so the soup barely simmers. Drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup in a thin, steady stream while gently stirring in one direction, so they set into fine ribbons, about 1 minute.
Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the sesame oil, and season with salt to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top with the scallions, and serve immediately with extra vinegar, white pepper, and chili garlic sauce at the table.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Gingery Vegetable Wonton Soup — Chinese-American
Spicy Wonton Noodle Bowl — Chinese-American
Gyoza (餃子) — Japanese
Dan Dan Noodles (担担面) — Chinese
Sweet Chili Glazed Chicken Thighs — Chinese-American

Keep reading: what umami, salinity, allium mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.