Hot and Sour Soup

So my family has recently rediscovered an old family past time.

Scrabble.

But in true Samuels family fashion, we have managed to turn run of the mill Scrabble games into high intensity competitions.

There are intense offensive and defensive maneuvers, ten second countdowns and tons of shit talking.

Samuels Scrabble is not for the faint of heart.

Apparently it is also not for those who want to sleep. Because for the last two nights, I’ve been up past midnight playing Scrabble. Well, winning Scrabble.

Here is a tasty soup for you to sip on while you and your crazy family are rediscovering Scrabble.

You will need…

6 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

8 ounces shitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 large egg, lightly beaten

½ package firm tofu, cut into ¼ inch cubes

2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Start by combining the broth, soy sauce and red pepper flakes in a large pot over medium high heat.

Bring the broth to a boil.

When the broth has boiled, add in the mushrooms and reduce the heat so the broth is simmering. Let the mushrooms simmer for about 10 minutes.

While the broth is simmering, whisk together the vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl.

Add the vinegar and cornstarch mixture to the broth and mix until the sauce has started to thicken. About 1 minute.

When the soup has thickened slightly, add in the egg through a slotted spoon and stir the soup well.

Then, add in the tofu and let the soup lightly simmer for 20 to 30 minutes so that the tofu absorbs the flavor.

After letting the tofu absorb the flavor, hold the ginger in your hand and squeeze all the juices out of it and into the pot and discard the leftovers.

Finally, add in the green onions and let it simmer for an additional minute.

Serve hot.

Love and Beer Floats

Angela