Hot and sour soup

2 oz dried shiitaki mushrooms
3 cups water
3 14.5 cans low sodium chicken broth
1/2 a block of firm tofu
3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar (not seasoned)
2 tbsp corn starch
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 large eggs, beaten well
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 scallions, sliced finely

Makes 6 1.5-cup servings

Cut tofu into 1/4 cubes and drain on paper towel while prepping the rest of the soup.

Put the mushrooms in a bowl and add enough boiling water to cover them. Put a plate on top to make sure they're all submerged. Let sit for 30 minutes then drain the mushrooms through a fine sieve - being sure to save the flavorful water they were soaking in. Slice the mushrooms and set aside.

In a large stock pot, combine broth, soy sauce, pepper flakes, mushroom water and enough water to bring mixture to six cups. Add mushrooms and cabbage and simmer for 20 minutes.

Mix the rice vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to soup and stir over medium heat until soup thickens. Add beaten eggs while stirring slowly to create little egg ribbons.

Remove soup from heat, add tofu, cover and let sit for three minutes. Squeeze the juice from the fresh ginger into the soup (discard the solids). Stir and serve topped with scallions.



Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user EMI101908.