Hot and sour soup is a lovely Chinese dish, featuring chili, vegetables and more, but this recipe takes the recipe to the next level adding squid to the mix, so you can enjoy the wonderfully soft texture of that in the soup. A hot and sour squid soup might sound like an exotic recipe but it is really easy to make.
Take a look at the following hot and sour squid soup recipe and you will see how anyone could put this together. Feel free to make it as spicy or as mild as you like. If you are feeling under the weather or you think you are getting a cold or the flu, up the spices to help fight it off!
You can make this soup as an appetizer or have it for lunch. If you want to try the classic one you can find a traditionally Chinese and squid-free way of making it!
Tips to Cook Squid Like a Pro
Tips to Cook Squid Like a ProA lot of home cooks are curious about how to ensure their squid is tender, because it can come out rubbery if you are not careful, and of course that will ruin your hot and sour squid soup because squid is a main ingredient.
The secret about cooking tender squid is to either cook it for a very short time or to cook it for a very long time. Large whole squid tubes will take longer than smaller squid rings.
I will either boil or fry it for about 45 to 60 seconds, or braise it for 45 minutes or so, depending on the dish I am making.
Once you make this hot and sour squid soup, you will definitely want to make it again and again. The recipe is based on the traditional Sichuan recipe.
If you are in a rush, you might want to opt for the shorter cooking time, in which case add the squid about a minute before the end of the cooking time rather than let it cook more slowly in the soup.
PrintHot and Sour Squid Soup Recipe
Hot and sour soup is taken to the next dimension when juicy squid is added to the mix. This is an ideal soup to serve as an appetizer before an Asian main course, or you can enjoy it for lunch.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Seafood
- Cuisine: Chinese (Sichuan)
Ingredients
- 3 oz (85g) cleaned, chopped fresh or thawed squid
- 1 tablespoon shredded ginger
- 1 beaten egg
- 1 oz (30g) bamboo shoots, fresh or frozen
- 3 shiitake mushrooms, soaked until soft
- 2 cups (500ml) salt-reduced chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 2 cups (500ml) water
- 1 block silken tofu
- ½ chopped red or green chili (optional)
- ½ shredded carrot
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon chili oil
- Salt and/or white pepper, to taste
- Cilantro, for garnish (fresh coriander)
Marinade:
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- ¼ teaspoon white sugar
- Sesame oil, to taste
Thickening:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Stir the squid with the marinade and shred all the other ingredients. Heat the oil over a moderately high heat and saute the ginger until it is aromatic, then add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots and carrot, and stir well. Cook until nearly tender.
- Add the water and chicken stock and bring the soup to a boil, then add the squid and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the squid is tender and the thickness is as you want it.
- Stir in the tofu and bring the soup to the boil again, then take it off the heat and pour in the whisked egg in a stream while stirring the soup. Season with soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and chili oil. Serve garnished with cilantro.