15-Minute Chinese Hot and Sour Soup - Chili to Choc (2024)

Spicy, tangy and hearty, this Chinese Hot and Sour Soup is a bowl of ultimate comfort. This instant Indo-Chinese recipe comes together in only 15 minutes. All you need are a couple of Asian sauces, vegetables and chicken. You can have it as a side or a full meal for dinner with fish crackers and garlic bread.

Before we bid these cold winters farewell, let me share with you my favourite soup recipe. Among all the soups there are the Chinese Hot and Sour Soup tops the list for me. I remember having it every other day from the street stalls of Pakistan and it used to be the first item I ordered in a Chinese restaurant.

This recipe is very close to the Pakistani-Chinese Hot and Sour Soup that we all love so much. And the best part is it doesn't take so long to make. So if you are suddenly craving for it, all you need are 15 minutes before devouring this bowl of deliciousness.

How To Make Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

1. Start with adding the chicken stock to a pot. You can use store-bought chicken broth/stock or dissolve chicken bouillon cubes in water. If you prefer, you can make your own chicken stock from scratch as well.
2. On medium heat, bring the stock to a simmer and add all the sauces and spices mentioned in the recipe below.
3. Then add the shredded chicken, thinly sliced carrots, bell pepper, cabbage and white part of spring onion. You can also add your choice of vegetables. Some options include mushrooms, green beans, cabbage, bamboo shoots and celery.
4. Make a cornflour slurry by mixing cornflour (cornstarch) and water. When the stock starts bubbling thicken the soup with the slurry.
5. Pour a whisked egg. Let it settle in the pot and then stir. Simmer for 2-3 minutes.
6. In the end, add the green part of the spring onion and serve the soup hot.

How To Prepare The Chicken

Take a chicken breast and put it in a pan. Add a few tablespoons of water along with some freshly chopped ginger, garlic, black pepper and salt. Cook on very low heat till the chicken is cooked through and the water has dried. Let cool and shred. You can also freeze shredded chicken for future use.

How To Make Instant Pickled Chili

This is my version of the vinegar you get served along with soy sauce and chili sauce in Chinese restaurants. Add 1-2 sliced green chili to ¼ cup of vinegar and let sit for 1 hour before serving. Pour a spoonful on top of your soup and enjoy.

Serving Ideas

Serve this deliciously spicy soup with fish crackers and garlic bread. You can also serve it as a side with a complete Chinese menu. Some ideas to dress up your Chinese table are: the addictively sweet Indo-Chinese Chicken Manchurian, my ultra-favourite Desi Chow Mein, the glorious Sticky Asian Chicken Wings and some Egg Fried Rice.

Can You Make It Vegetarian

Definitely! Skip the meat or replace it with tofu for a vegetarian Chinese Hot and Sour Soup.

Watch How To Make It

More Chinese Recipes

• Kung Pao Chicken
• Chicken Chili Dry
• Chinese Chicken in Garlic Sauce

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This post was originally published on March 6, 2019. The recipe has been updated with new pictures, video and detailed instructions. Here is the the old picture: