Hot and Sour Soup

I am really branching out now: I made tasty tofu! My primary frustration came from the draining process - place tofu between two plates and sit a heavy frying pan (cast iron skillet) on top until tofu is drained. But I found that if you press the tofu while you prep your vegetables, it doesn't take as long as I imagined. Always purchase extra firm tofu.

Another vegetarian foodie of mine offered a suggestion for how to cook tofu. She marinates the tofu in soy sauce and grills it. You can visually see when the tofu starts to firm and when to flip it. Unfortunately my husband was MIA the evening I made tofu - big surprise - so I cooked it on a traditional skillet. I sliced the tofu horizontally into quarters, and then into cubes. I found a great product at the grocery store - universal marinade in a spray bottle. The primary ingredient is soy sauce and it seems to pair well with everything. It provides a savory seasoning to tofu as well.

And slowly but surely, I am learning less is more. I have tried to up this soup with broccolini and sweet peppers, but it is such a distracting taste and texture to the hot and sour. I have seen some varieties that add bamboo shoots and Chinese egg noodles that I am willing to try, but you cannot go wrong with this simple recipe.

Hot and Sour Soup

4 cups vegetable broth, preferably Organic Hearty

2-4 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

8oz., at least, fresh shiitake mushrooms

1 bunch green onions

4 tbsp rice vinegar, separated

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 large egg beaten, plus egg whites

3.5oz. (half a package) extra firm tofu

I am very lucky that my father grows shiitake mushrooms as big as your face, and he is generous about giving them away. Hot and sour soup is not worth the effort without a large bunch of shittake mushrooms, although they are not cheap to come by. Make sure mushrooms are cleaned thoroughly (I highly recommend a mushroom brush), as I learned the hard way.

Slice whites of the greens onions and saute in olive oil over medium heat in a stew pot - keep some thin chives from green onions. Season onions with crushed red pepper and grated ginger. De glaze the pan with vegetable broth. As you can tell, I have been carefree about using chicken broth in my vegetarian recipes, but since I have found Organic Hearty vegetable broth (sold at Trader Joes and other grocers), I do not substitute broths as often. Organic Hearty is very hearty and rich with vegetable flavor. It resembles the color of carrot juice, but it tastes much more savory.

Add sliced mushrooms and cover pot. The mushrooms will cook down so use as many mushrooms as you like. Since there is not much to this soup, I used A LOT of mushrooms. They absorb the flavors so well in the soup and have a meaty texture. Simmer soup until mushrooms are soft and tender.

While soup simmers, cook tofu. I sauted two slabs of tofu until brown on both sides. Spray or season generously. Once brown, cut tofu into cubes; roughly 1/4 inch cubes. I cooked the entire block of tofu but only used half. Depending on how much you like tofu, use as much as you prefer. And help me think of something else to do with my tofu.

Stir together cornstarch in 3 tbsp vinegar. Mix into soup and stir. Once soup thickens (10 minutes), add tofu. Add beaten egg to soup and stir until egg ribbons form. I love the egg ribbons so I add some more egg whites from the carton - two eggs is just above too much for me.

Stir in soy sauce and vinegar just before serving. I used lots of soy sauce - I think I underestimated how salty the broth is so I didn't add salt. Soy sauce adds the flavor with sodium, so additional salt is unnecessary. The vinegar provides the "sour" in the soup. Although I am not a huge vinegar fan, I added a quarter cup to intensify the sour.

Serve with chives and cilantro, if desired.