Chinese · lunch, dinner
Vegetable Hot and Sour Soup
Video by Made With Lau on YouTube · Open on YouTube
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free with a swap: Use tamari in place of the light and dark soy sauce
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Contains: Gluten, Egg, Sesame, Soy. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
A vegetarian soup packed with four kinds of mushroom, tomato and a whole block of tofu: a bowl gives about 24 g of protein, half a day's calcium and 5 g of fibre, with its heat from white pepper rather than chilli oil.
The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.
Ingredients 20
Method
Tap a time to watch that step in the video.
- Soak the wood ear fungus in warm water for 15–20 minutes (and dried shiitake for 5–10). Cut all the mushrooms, carrot, bell pepper and tofu into thin strips and dice the tomatoes. Mix the cornstarch with 2 tbsp water and beat the eggs. 2:09
- Heat a little oil in a wok over high heat with the chilli peppers for about a minute to flavour it, then remove the chillies. 5:23
- Stir-fry the tomatoes for 30–60 seconds, then add the 5 cups of hot water. As it comes to the boil, stir in the white pepper, salt, light and dark soy sauce and sugar. 6:03
- Add the mushrooms, carrot, bell pepper and tofu, cover and bring back to the boil, 3–4 minutes. 7:05
- Stir the slurry and pour it in slowly over about a minute, stirring all the time, until the soup thickens. Drizzle in the beaten eggs and give just a gentle stir so they set in ribbons. 7:39
- Add the vinegar and sesame oil, turn off the heat, taste for sourness and garnish with green onion. 8:40
Tip. Add more vinegar or white pepper to taste. Daddy Lau says shrimp or thin strips of meat can go in after the slurry. Keeps 2 days in the fridge; reheat gently.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 4
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 20%
- Protein 32%
- Fat 48%
Low carb: under 26% of the energy is from carbs.
One serve has about 52% of a day’s sodium. Use less salt, stock or sauce, or a reduced-salt version, to bring it down.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Omega-3 High58%
0.9 g a serve, mostly from firm tofu (64%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Calcium High55%
720 mg a serve, mostly from firm tofu (95%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Selenium High53%
29 µg a serve, mostly from firm tofu (58%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin K High24%
28 µg a serve, mostly from green onions (55%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Zinc High23%
2.5 mg a serve, mostly from firm tofu (63%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Vitamin C High23%
21 mg a serve, mostly from red bell pepper (45%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Iron High21%
3.9 mg a serve, mostly from firm tofu (70%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Magnesium High21%
88 mg a serve, mostly from firm tofu (66%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Vitamin B6 High21%
0.3 mg a serve, mostly from firm tofu (29%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Vitamin A High20%
184 µg a serve, mostly from carrot (57%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Folate Source17%
70 µg a serve, mostly from firm tofu (42%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Potassium Source15%
720 mg a serve, mostly from firm tofu (33%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Vitamin B12 Source12%
0.3 µg a serve, mostly from eggs (96%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Vitamin E Source10%
1.5 mg a serve, mostly from corn oil (41%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Show the other 1
Vitamin D4%
0.7 µg a serve, mostly from eggs (77%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
You might also like
Sweet and Salty Tofu Rice BowlChinese · 894 kcal · 48 g protein
Vegan Kung Pao TofuChinese · 465 kcal · 32 g protein
Cantonese Silky Scrambled Eggs with PrawnsChinese · 409 kcal · 32 g protein
Shrimp Cauliflower Fried RiceChinese · 395 kcal · 37 g protein
Chicken and Broccoli Stir-FryChinese · 277 kcal · 27 g protein
Cong Bao Yang Rou (Beijing Lamb and Scallion Stir-Fry)Chinese · 391 kcal · 26 g protein
Recipe and video by Made With Lau; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.