Oh my gosh, this is soooo good! Perfect for a snowy March day that carpeted our crocus, scilla, and daffodils with a cloak of white… How perfect too, to make a Chinese inspired soup at this time– sending socially distanced, compassionate, blameless love to that whole nation.

(To matchstick cut the baby carrots, use a large chef’s knife and cut each one length-wise into eighths. )

(I chopped the ginger in the food processor.)

This soup comes together quickly, so have all the ingredients ready before you start cooking.

Hot and Sour Soup Recipe

2 Tablespoons avocado oil
5 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
6 large scallions, spring onions, or leeks, white parts chopped
2 cups matchstick sliced baby carrots
2 portobello mushrooms, cleaned, de-gilled, chopped
2 pinches of sea salt, divided
2 1/2 cups vegetable or seafood stock
3 Tablespoons coconut aminos
hot sauce to taste (optional)
2 Tablespoons of rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 dash of white pepper
four tilapia loins
2 large eggs, whisked
1 1/2 Tablespoons arrowroot
3 Tablespoons cold water

In heavy bottom dutch oven over medium high heat, add two tablespoons of avocado oil. Saute garlic ginger, and scallions stirring continuously, until fragrant. Season with one pinch of salt. Add mushrooms and carrots, stir for about a minute and add another pinch of salt. Sir for one minute more.

Add stock and deglaze the pan by scraping up all the yumminess stuck to the bottom of the pan. Season with the coconut aminos, hot sauce (if using), rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and white pepper. Add tilapia loins and poach until they break apart, stirring occasionally.

When fish is incorporated, and soup is in a hot boil, turn off heat, and slowly drizzle in whisked eggs from high up. I continue to whip them while I let them drop in a swirling motion distributed around the pot. Let the eggs set for a few seconds to form their shape, and then whisk the broth with the eggs to make them fluffy.

Mix the arrowroot with the three tablespoons of cold water. When the soup is hot simmering (i.e. no longer boiling), thicken the soup by give the arrowroot slurry another stir and then slowly drizzling it in. Gently whisk the soup for about one to two minutes, until it thickens.

Serve immediately.

Wow. Doesn’t that taste amazing? This is destined to become something I make a lot.

(note: when warming leftovers, do not bring to a boil; the arrowroot thickening texture will break down if it is overheated.)

Enjoy!