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This restaurant-style Hot and Sour Soup recipe is the best!! It’s quick and simple to make, easy to adapt to your personal taste preferences, and so delicious.
Can’t stop, won’t stop with the soup recipes this winter. ♡
And today’s recipe is one that I’ve been meaning to share with you on the blog for years, after literally dozens and dozens of you have requested it. (This usually comes up when I’m chatting about my favorite egg drop soup recipe — apparently many of you usually opt for the hot and sour soup at your favorite Chinese restaurants and have wanted to learn how to make it!)
Well, good news, friends! Traditional hot and sour soup is actually incredibly easy to make as well. And the bonus of making it at home is that it’s also incredibly easy to customize to your taste. Like it extra hot? Add in more chili garlic sauce. Like it extra sour? Add in more rice wine vinegar. Like it vegetarian? Make it with tofu. Like the meat version? Just add in some pork.
Trust me, this is one of those restaurant recipes that will taste just as good at home. And on chilly winter weeks like this one that we’re having here in Kansas City, it’s guaranteed to warm you up in the most delicious of ways.
Hot And Sour Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Hot and Sour Soup Ingredients:
To make this hot and sour soup recipe, you will need:
Broth: Either chicken or veggie stock (or broth) will do.
Mushrooms: I highly recommend using shiitake mushrooms, but baby bella or even button mushrooms would also do.
Eggs: Which we will whisk, and the drizzle into the soup to make those lovely egg ribbons.
Firm tofu: Which we will cube and add to the soup.
Green onions: To stir into the soup and also sprinkle on top as a garnish.
Toasted sesame oil: An essential flavor in the soup, which we will drizzle at the very end.
Salt and pepper: Hot and sour soup is traditionally made with white pepper, which (heads up) has a different and much stronger flavor than black pepper. I recommend adding in a pinch, and then you can always add in more later. Or if you don’t have white pepper, black pepper will also do.
Optional: Many restaurant versions of hot and sour soup are also made with bamboo shoots. I’m personally not a fan of them, but you are welcome to add some in if you would like.
How To Make Hot and Sour Soup:
To make this hot and sour soup recipe, simply…
Make your cornstarch slurry. Whisk together 1/4 cup of the stock and cornstarch until combined. Set aside.
Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the remaining stock, mushrooms, bamboo shoots (if using), rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chili garlic sauce to a large stock pot, and cook until the soup reaches a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue cooking for a minute or so, until the soup has thickened.
Drizzle in those beautiful egg ribbons! While stirring the soup in a circular motion with one hand, use your other hand to slowly drizzle the whisked eggs into the soup.
Season the soup. Stir in the tofu, half of the green onions, and sesame oil. Then season the soup with salt and black pepper (or white pepper) to taste.
Serve. Ladle up your servings while the soup is nice and hot, garnished with extra green onions.
What To Serve With Hot & Sour Soup:
Here are a few of my favorite dishes that pair well with hot and sour soup:
This classic Chinese hot and sour soup recipe is quick and easy to make, full of delicious flavor, easy to make vegetarian (with tofu!) or with pork, and it totally rivals any soup I’ve tried at a Chinese restaurant!
Set aside ¼ cup of the chicken or vegetable broth for later use.
Add the remaining 7 ¾ cups chicken or vegetable broth, mushrooms, bamboo shoots (if using), rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger and chili garlic sauce to a large stock pot, and stir to combine. Heat over medium-high heat until the soup reaches a simmer.
While the soup is heating, whisk together the ¼ cup of broth (that you had set aside) and cornstarch in a small bowl until completely smooth. Once the soup has reached a simmer, stir in the cornstarch mixture and stir for 1 minute or so until the soup has thickened.
Continue stirring the soup in a circular motion, then drizzle in the eggs in a thin stream (while still stirring the soup) to create egg ribbons. Stir in the tofu, half of the green onions, and sesame oil. Then season the soup with salt and a pinch* of white pepper (or black pepper) to taste. If you’d like a more “sour” soup, feel free to add in another tablespoon or two of rice wine vinegar as well. Or if you’d like a spicier soup, add in more chili garlic sauce.
Serve immediately, garnished with the extra green onions.
Pork option: Or, you’re welcome to make this with pork instead of tofu. Just add in a half pound of cooked pork — ground pork, or you can thinly-slice pork chops or pork loin — in place of the tofu.
White pepper: I prefer using a pinch of white pepper in this soup instead of black pepper. But if you are new to cooking with white pepper, heads up that it has a much stronger (and slightly) different flavor than black pepper! I recommend starting with a small pinch, then you can always add more to taste.
This soup is delicious. I made it 2 weeks ago and just made it again. My local grocery did not have bamboo shoots so I used water chestnuts the first time and daikon the second time.
We have a favorite Chinese place we can’t get to anymore. I’ve been using your recipes for about a year now. Made this for first time with no changes. Family says its better than takeout. I’m a follower now! Loved it! Next time I’ll add shrimp and fry some crunchies for it. Keep going!!
This recipe is definitely a keeper. So easy, so tasty, lots of protein! I had just made a soup stock from leftover bones of duck and beef, and used it for the soup. I have tried making hot and sour soup over the years, but this was the best. Thanks so much!
This recipe was simple and delicious. I’ve tried other hot and sour soup recipes in the past, but this one stands out. Saving it for future cooking. Thanks for sharing it!
I love this recipe – I tweak it a little but not a lot. I’ll change up the types of mushrooms I use and only really use black pepper. I found a treasure trove of huy fong chili garlic paste which has been very hard to come by lately. It is by far the best element in the equation. If you’ve never bought a dozen jars of this because you love it so much more than any other sauce, you might be me.
I absolutely love Hot and Sour soup! This is a great recipe that i have used for at least a few years now, but I do change some things to my liking. Any shiitake mushrooms I have used I have not liked so I just use regular white or brown mushrooms. I also use more rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. I also add black fungus mushrooms.
I don’t leave many comments but this soup is too good! Love hot and sour soup when I’m under the weather, didn’t find any local restaurant take-outs locally that I really liked so I thought I’d try making my own based on this recipe. Will never buy it again, this is really, really good!
This was amazing! I made exactly as is and it was soooo delicious. Curious about why the recipe doesn’t call for sautéing the mushrooms first though for maximum flavor? I think I will try that next time…unless someone thinks that I really shouldn’t?
I never write reviews but this recipe is review worthy. Oh my goodness.. this recipe has saved me money from going out to my local Chinese restaurant to buy hot and sour soup. The first time I made it had too much ginger so I cut that down to 1/4 tsp and added another teaspoon of chili garlic sauce. I may add more chili garlic sauce since I like it more on the spicy side. I added the crispy wonton strips you can find in the salad section of the grocery store and this taste just like my favorite Chinese restaurant if not better.
So take the suggestion and only use 1/4 teaspoon of ginger when making this recipe!
Omg this hot and sour soup was better than restaurants.
I used water chestnuts in place of bamboo..no salt or pepper needed. Used Hariisa paste as my chile
Omg this hot and sour soup was better than restaurants.
I used water chestnuts in place of bamboo..no salt or pepper needed. Used Hariisa paste as my chile
Great recipe but one small (but very important) tweak that I would make is to use silken tofu, NOT firm or extra firm tofu. Silken tofu is what is traditionally used in soups (such as miso soup) and for good reason-the soft silky texture just works much better in a soup and complements the textures of the egg and mushrooms much better. Ultimately I suppose it comes down to personal preference but I strongly recommend that anyone reading this try making this soup with silken tofu instead. I myself did not realize just how important this is until I once bought firm tofu (not yet knowing the differences between tofu varieties too well and not realizing that the instant miso packets themselves contain dehydrated silken tofu) to add to my instant miso soup and it ruined the soup. I tried it again with silken tofu and it was perfection. Also I’m actually eating hot & sour soup from a restaurant right now and it has silken tofu in it as well. I also personally find silken tofu much more delicious and pleasant than firm or extra firm. If you think you hate tofu, try silken tofu. It doesn’t have that bean curd texture, it has a texture exactly like it’s name-silky. I also think it tastes better, perhaps due to the higher moisture content. Once you try it you’ll never go back!
really good, hot, and sour soup. So easy too. My last recipe called for boiling and simmering each ingredient. Thanks for my new recipe.You can always add more of anything after to taste
As I didn’t have mushrooms I used red and yellow peppers and zucchini. I used sriracha sauce instead of chili sauce as that’s what I had on had. I added 2 tbsp additional rice vinegar and used only one egg. It was good.
This sounds so good and so many positive comments. I buy really good H&S locally, but have it delivered, which meanns I feel obligated to buy a bunch of stuff with red sauce and batter that I don’t want.
People have stated, more vinegar, less vinegar – yadayaada. I don’t want to suggest I want to add anything but julienned carrots sounds nice. I don”t think what I buy has the egg swirl, so I will for sure give that a go.
On the side, scallops pan fried, sauteed shrimp??? Probably chow mein – HaHa!
SO good. I agree this hot and sour soup recipe rivals that at any Chinese restaurant I’ve been to (and I always order the hot and sour soup). I follow the recipe exactly as written. I have tested with shiitake and baby bella as recommended and I prefer the baby bella, but of course it’s a personal preference. I go with the tofu, bamboo shoots, and white pepper options. I have made this for family visiting from various regions and ALWAYS get asked for the recipe. Thank you!
WOW! This is delicious. I used white mushrooms but other than that I made it just as written.
My go to broth is BETTER THAN BULLION , No Chicken , Chicken flavored. (Vegetarian)
This is HANDS DOWN the BEST hot and sour soup!! Restaurant quality!! It was so effortless to make and made enough for lunch the rest of the week! Thank you so much!
Asian here – this soup was so incredibly good! Better than some I’ve had at Asian restaurants. I followed the recipe exactly and couldn’t stop telling my partner how good the soup was while I was eating it. I can’t wait to devour this soup the rest of the week! It’s so flavorful and healthy.
Thank for this recipe. It’s perfect! This recipe is the closest to restaurant quality I have found. Your hot and sour soup has become a regular staple in my house. Much appreciated and warmest regards!
This soup is wonderful. I make it at least twice a month. The flavor is great, it does not have too many ingredients and it comes together quickly. Thanks for posting!
Loved this recipe. Used the Tofu, White pepper and went strictly by the recipe numbers. I would like to have the soup part a little thicker. Would I just add more Corn Starch and keep the liquid slurry the same or add more chicken broth too?
I’ve never made hot and sour soup before but your directions were so clear I was able to season to taste the first time I made it. I am so impressed with you. Now I’m off to check out all your other recipes for inspiration. Thank you.
Absolutely delicious. I followed this recipe exactly except I used regular white mushrooms. I also added baby corn for a little more veggie. I added some stir fry pork strips I had already cooked, as well as tofu. Really nice. Thanks
This soup is delicious. I made it 2 weeks ago and just made it again. My local grocery did not have bamboo shoots so I used water chestnuts the first time and daikon the second time.
Hi! I would love to make this soup in advance. I know it says to eat immediately but is there any (24 hour) wiggle room? Thanks!!
Yes. Add the tofu, slurry and egg right before serving, not before.
We have a favorite Chinese place we can’t get to anymore. I’ve been using your recipes for about a year now. Made this for first time with no changes. Family says its better than takeout. I’m a follower now! Loved it! Next time I’ll add shrimp and fry some crunchies for it. Keep going!!
I made it and it was amazing! Little bit hot but I liked that way. Will make again!
This recipe was so easy and delish! The whole family loved it.
I regret adding in the bamboo shoots, they smell awful and really made the entire thing taste like it — will try again without next time.
This is a quick and delicious soup! I made the pork variation, fantastic. Thanks for the recipe!
Love this soup! Such great flavors.
This recipe is definitely a keeper. So easy, so tasty, lots of protein! I had just made a soup stock from leftover bones of duck and beef, and used it for the soup. I have tried making hot and sour soup over the years, but this was the best. Thanks so much!
Followed the directions but had some left-over chicken breast. added a little more vinegar and hot sauce and Yummy.
Every time I look at a recipe here I need to leave my email. Why can’t I just leave it once and be done.
My husband and son and a great family friend love this recipe.
Sooo good. Thank you for sharing this recipe with me!
This recipe was simple and delicious. I’ve tried other hot and sour soup recipes in the past, but this one stands out. Saving it for future cooking. Thanks for sharing it!
I love this recipe – I tweak it a little but not a lot. I’ll change up the types of mushrooms I use and only really use black pepper. I found a treasure trove of huy fong chili garlic paste which has been very hard to come by lately. It is by far the best element in the equation. If you’ve never bought a dozen jars of this because you love it so much more than any other sauce, you might be me.
I absolutely love Hot and Sour soup! This is a great recipe that i have used for at least a few years now, but I do change some things to my liking. Any shiitake mushrooms I have used I have not liked so I just use regular white or brown mushrooms. I also use more rice vinegar, soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. I also add black fungus mushrooms.
I don’t leave many comments but this soup is too good! Love hot and sour soup when I’m under the weather, didn’t find any local restaurant take-outs locally that I really liked so I thought I’d try making my own based on this recipe. Will never buy it again, this is really, really good!
This was amazing! I made exactly as is and it was soooo delicious. Curious about why the recipe doesn’t call for sautéing the mushrooms first though for maximum flavor? I think I will try that next time…unless someone thinks that I really shouldn’t?
I never write reviews but this recipe is review worthy. Oh my goodness.. this recipe has saved me money from going out to my local Chinese restaurant to buy hot and sour soup. The first time I made it had too much ginger so I cut that down to 1/4 tsp and added another teaspoon of chili garlic sauce. I may add more chili garlic sauce since I like it more on the spicy side. I added the crispy wonton strips you can find in the salad section of the grocery store and this taste just like my favorite Chinese restaurant if not better.
So take the suggestion and only use 1/4 teaspoon of ginger when making this recipe!
My go-to hot n sour soup recipe! I have it memorized so I can skip this up in no time.
Made it last night and family loved it. So easy to make and so delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Omg this hot and sour soup was better than restaurants.
I used water chestnuts in place of bamboo..no salt or pepper needed. Used Hariisa paste as my chile
Omg this hot and sour soup was better than restaurants.
I used water chestnuts in place of bamboo..no salt or pepper needed. Used Hariisa paste as my chile
I can’t wait to try this! One of my fav soups!
How long is the shelf life in the fridge?
Great recipe but one small (but very important) tweak that I would make is to use silken tofu, NOT firm or extra firm tofu. Silken tofu is what is traditionally used in soups (such as miso soup) and for good reason-the soft silky texture just works much better in a soup and complements the textures of the egg and mushrooms much better. Ultimately I suppose it comes down to personal preference but I strongly recommend that anyone reading this try making this soup with silken tofu instead. I myself did not realize just how important this is until I once bought firm tofu (not yet knowing the differences between tofu varieties too well and not realizing that the instant miso packets themselves contain dehydrated silken tofu) to add to my instant miso soup and it ruined the soup. I tried it again with silken tofu and it was perfection. Also I’m actually eating hot & sour soup from a restaurant right now and it has silken tofu in it as well. I also personally find silken tofu much more delicious and pleasant than firm or extra firm. If you think you hate tofu, try silken tofu. It doesn’t have that bean curd texture, it has a texture exactly like it’s name-silky. I also think it tastes better, perhaps due to the higher moisture content. Once you try it you’ll never go back!
I halved the recipe. It was perfect I gradients. I added a pinch nifty crushed red pepper plates because I like hot.
So easy to make I cannot belive I had not tried before. Turned out perfect!
Love this recipe. I double and use both tofu and pork, protein packed 😋
really good, hot, and sour soup. So easy too. My last recipe called for boiling and simmering each ingredient. Thanks for my new recipe.You can always add more of anything after to taste
Delicious! I used Gochujang instead of chili garlic sauce because that is all I had and it was perfect! Also, added extra tofu and mushrooms. So good
As I didn’t have mushrooms I used red and yellow peppers and zucchini. I used sriracha sauce instead of chili sauce as that’s what I had on had. I added 2 tbsp additional rice vinegar and used only one egg. It was good.
This was outstanding. We added shredded carrots and, next time, will add more mushrooms and green onions. There will definitely be a next time!
This sounds so good and so many positive comments. I buy really good H&S locally, but have it delivered, which meanns I feel obligated to buy a bunch of stuff with red sauce and batter that I don’t want.
People have stated, more vinegar, less vinegar – yadayaada. I don’t want to suggest I want to add anything but julienned carrots sounds nice. I don”t think what I buy has the egg swirl, so I will for sure give that a go.
On the side, scallops pan fried, sauteed shrimp??? Probably chow mein – HaHa!
SO good. I agree this hot and sour soup recipe rivals that at any Chinese restaurant I’ve been to (and I always order the hot and sour soup). I follow the recipe exactly as written. I have tested with shiitake and baby bella as recommended and I prefer the baby bella, but of course it’s a personal preference. I go with the tofu, bamboo shoots, and white pepper options. I have made this for family visiting from various regions and ALWAYS get asked for the recipe. Thank you!
Great recipe. Clear directions. Definitely better than most restaurants serve. I make quite often. Highly recommend you try!!!!!
WOW! This is delicious. I used white mushrooms but other than that I made it just as written.
My go to broth is BETTER THAN BULLION , No Chicken , Chicken flavored. (Vegetarian)
This is HANDS DOWN the BEST hot and sour soup!! Restaurant quality!! It was so effortless to make and made enough for lunch the rest of the week! Thank you so much!
Asian here – this soup was so incredibly good! Better than some I’ve had at Asian restaurants. I followed the recipe exactly and couldn’t stop telling my partner how good the soup was while I was eating it. I can’t wait to devour this soup the rest of the week! It’s so flavorful and healthy.
Easy and delicious!
Thank for this recipe. It’s perfect! This recipe is the closest to restaurant quality I have found. Your hot and sour soup has become a regular staple in my house. Much appreciated and warmest regards!
This soup is wonderful. I make it at least twice a month. The flavor is great, it does not have too many ingredients and it comes together quickly. Thanks for posting!
My husband made this and it was fantastic! Thanks for posting this. Do you have any nutrition information available?
The soup came out delicious thank you so much for the recipe better than the Chinese restaurants
Loved this recipe. Used the Tofu, White pepper and went strictly by the recipe numbers. I would like to have the soup part a little thicker. Would I just add more Corn Starch and keep the liquid slurry the same or add more chicken broth too?
I’ve never made hot and sour soup before but your directions were so clear I was able to season to taste the first time I made it. I am so impressed with you. Now I’m off to check out all your other recipes for inspiration. Thank you.
Tell your dogs I said hi!
Absolutely delicious. I followed this recipe exactly except I used regular white mushrooms. I also added baby corn for a little more veggie. I added some stir fry pork strips I had already cooked, as well as tofu. Really nice. Thanks
I have made this a couple of times and it is delicious. The only thing I changed it I add tree ears.
Made this recipe today, I’ve made this for the last 2+ years.
Perfect and easy in every way. It’s perfection.