I’ve made this soup 2-3 times in the past month. I live in Texas and it hasn’t particularly been that cold — maybe high-20s, low-30s as a low — but best I can tell, it works in multiple weather environments from “super-ass cold” to “summer-y and on the porch” (in case you stumbled across this and have no idea who I am or anything, I used to live in Minneapolis. It’s very cold there.)
So this recipe works regardless of weather, for the most part — as in, it can be awesome if it’s bone-cold or in the 90s — and it’s relatively healthy, insanely flavorful, and fairly easy to prepare. I made it once after having about four drinks. Am I proud of that fact? No. Will I promote it here and call you a prick in the headline? Yes. Why, you ask? Because this blog is my safe space.
Here’s what y’all need:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 garlic clove, smashed and minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 4 scallions, white and green parts, minced, plus more for garnish
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 4 cups store-bought or homemade chicken stock
- 1 pound soft or firm tofu (not silken and not extra firm), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 4 or 5 medium button mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced (or substitute dried, rehydrated wood ear mushrooms)
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup rice vinegar, or to taste
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce, or to taste
- 2 large eggs
- White or black pepper for garnish
Here’s the instructions, with some fudging by me:
- In the saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the garlic, ginger, scallions, and pork and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes. You want to break up the pork into smaller pieces with a spoon, but don’t worry about breaking it down completely or cooking it through.
- Add the stock and bring to a simmer; here I actually did 2 cups stock, then 1 cup water, then 2 cups stock, maybe 30-40 seconds in between each pour-in. Add the tofu, mushrooms, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, black pepper, sesame oil, and Sriracha sauce and bring the soup back to a simmer over medium-high heat. Taste the soup. If you want it hotter, add more Sriracha sauce; if you want it more sour, add more vinegar.
- In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. With the soup at a steady simmer, slowly whisk in the eggs so they form strands. Simmer for another 5-7 minutes.
- Divide into bowls and serve.
Even with the eggs involved, this keeps for about 3-4 days in a tupperware/container in the fridge (sealed). The color might change a little bit but it’s still hella tasty. Yes, I just said hella.
If you want a variation on this recipe — it’s not exactly the same, and I prefer the one written above, but this is good/close — check out this video:
