Hot and Sour Soup

For day #25 of Soup Month, this version of the classic Oriental Hot and Sour Soup turned out very well.  I did have to improvise on some of the ingredients as locally it is impossible to find black mushrooms or black chinese vinegar!  The substitutions worked great and the soup had that familiar hot-sour-spicy flavor that I just love.  We enjoyed this soup with crispy, crunchy homemade Egg Rolls.

10 oz  Portabello Mushrooms, quartered
1 can  Bamboo Shoots
4 TB  Rice Vinegar
2 TB  Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 cup  Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Sugar
4 TB  Cornstarch
4 TB  Water
2 TB  Peanut Oil
12 oz  Pork Loin, cut into thin strips

5 cups  Chicken Stock

1 package  Extra Firm Tofu, cut into small pieces

3  Eggs, slightly beaten

1 tsp  White Pepper

1 tsp  Black Pepper

1 1/2 tsp  Sesame Oil

1 to 2 TB  Sriracha Sauce (more or less, to taste)

Mix the vinegars, soy sauce, salt and sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and brown for 2 minutes.  Next add the pork and saute, turning frequently, about 4 minutes or until the meat is nearly cooked through.

Add the bamboo shoots and the broth and stir to combine. Add the tofu and stir, heating 2-3 minutes until the broth comes to a boil.

Next add the vinegar mixture and the cornstarch mixture and stir until soup thickens.  Turn heat to low-medium. 

While stirring the soup very gently, pour in the eggs in a thin stream. When the eggs are in the soup let the eggs rest and cook on top of the soup about 1 minute.  When the eggs are set, stir in the white and black peppers, sesame oil and the Sriracha.  Serve garnished with green onions.