Sour and Chilli Soup.

Sour and Chilli Soup

• 8 cups vegetable (OPTIONAL: Chicken) stock
• 2 tablespoons garlic and red chili paste, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced and stems removed
• 1 cup peeled straw mushrooms
• OPTIONAL: 1/4 lb lean pork or chicken, julienned
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup bamboo shoots, julienned
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts, sliced
• 1/2 cup baby corn ears
• 1/4 cup dried black fungus, soaked for 1 hour
• 1 (12.00 ounces) package cake tofu, 1/4-inch dice
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper, ground
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• OPTIONAL: 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
• Scallions, finely chopped, garnish

Bring stock to a simmer over medium heat.

Add chili paste, soy sauce, mushrooms and optional meat. Yes, you can make this without the mushrooms or black fungus if your housemates are mushroom-fearing freaks like mine... But it does change the whole character of the soup.

Simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Add vinegar, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, baby corn, black fungus, tofu and pepper. Yes, you can make this without the mushrooms or black fungus if your housemates are mushroom-fearing freaks like mine... But it does change the whole character of the soup.

Simmer for at least 5 minutes.

Mix cornstarch with 5 tablespoons of the liquid from the soup. Add the cornstarch mixture to the soup, to thicken. This soup is very, very thick!

Bring back to a simmer.

If adding eggs, mix the eggs and then pour them in a very thin stream into the soup, as you stir.

Turn off the heat.

Let stand for 30-60 seconds, and stir in the sesame oil.

Throw the chopped scallions into the soup.

Serves: 6 (serve with sticky rice)

Preparation time: 45-90 minutes (shorter if you've pre-soaked your black fungus)