I judge a Chinese buffet restaurant on the quality of their hot and sour soup. If their soup is watery, or if it doesn't have any meat, or if it doesn't have enough goodies in it, or if it doesn't have that perfect blend of hot and sour, I just won't go back.
Here's a tweak of an old Weight Watcher's Take Out Tonight recipe. It's the best hot and sour soup that I've ever made at home. I still have my favorite little hole-in-the-wall Chinese buffet restaurant where I can get great hot and sour soup, but this is one that is easy to do at home and tastes almost as good.
I've made this twice. The first time, pictured below, and the second time, pictured above. The second version was my favorite.
1 box, 32 oz, Kitchen Basics chicken stock
2T soy sauce
1T Lee Kum Kee chili garlic sauce
3T rice vinegar
1/2 lb thin cut, boneless, pork loin chops, cut into slivers
Mushrooms, 1 small pkg, cleaned and sliced (first time I used shiitaki, second time I used button)
8 oz tofu, cut into small rectangles
2 to 3 T cornstarch (depending on how thick you like your soup, first time I used 2 T, second time I used 3, and liked 3 better)
3T chicken stock
1 egg, beaten (first time I skipped the egg, but like it better with the addition of the egg)
In a large sauce pan, mix together the first four ingredients, and place over medium heat. When the mixture begins to simmer, add the pork slivers and the mushrooms. Simmer until the pork is fully cooked.
Add the tofu and continue to cook, about 15 minutes.
Mix together the cornstarch and the 3T of chicken stock. Add a ladle of the soup mixture to the cornstarch/stock mixture and stir until well combined. Add this mixture to the soup and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes. Right before serving, add the egg while gently stirring to form egg sheets.
