Cook time: 15 mins
Yield: 3 to 4 serves
Ingredients:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 gm wood ear, soaked until softened
- 2 to 3 (about 25 gm) dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until softened
- 1 L vegetable stock
- 2 pcs (about 77 gm) spicy tofu
- 1 pc (about 93 gm) firm tofu
- 6 pcs water chestnut, fresh, frozen or canned
- white pepper, to taste
- 1 egg, whisked
- diced spring onion, to taste
- coriander, for garnish
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp chilli oil
- 1½ Tbsp black vinegar (黑醋)
- 1½ Tbsp potato starch (or corn starch)
- 2 Tbsp water
- Trim the hard end of wood ear. Julienne wood ear, shiitake mushroom, spicy tofu, firm tofu and water chestnut. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium low heat. Saute garlic until aromatic. Be sure not to burn it though. Or else your soup will taste bitter. Add wood ear and shiitake mushroom. Stir and cook until fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable stock. Increase heat to high and bring it to a boil. Add spicy tofu, firm tofu and water chestnut. To prepare the thickening, thoroughly combine the potato starch and water. When the soup boils again, pour in the sauce ingredients. Stir in the thickening. The soup will turn thicker. Turn off the heat. Steadily pour in the whisked egg and gently stir around with chopsticks, a large spoon or a fork. The egg should immediately turn into ribbons. Sprinkle diced spring onion and white pepper. Garnish with coriander. Serve immediately.
- For convenience, you can use store-bought vegetable stock. Or use chicken stock instead if you’re not a vegan.
- Garlic is optional.
- Canned water chestnuts are already peeled, very handy, available at Asian grocers.
- The amount of black vinegar and chilli oil can be adjusted according to personal preference.
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