Spring Hot-and-Sour Soup

Hot-and-sour soup inspired this highly nontraditional springtime version. Miso gives just enough body so that you won't need cornstarch to thicken it, and you can use silken tofu or thinly sliced yuba instead of egg for that same silky effect.

Servings

Total time

minutes

Cuisines

Asian

Courses

Soups and stews

Ingredients

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (or vegetable oil)
3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
1 ” ginger (piece, peeled, finely chopped)
2 tbsp miso
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned, or apple cider vinegar)
½ tsp toasted sesame oil
½ tsp aleppo-style pepper (or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving if desired)
2 oz shiitake mushrooms (or crimini, trimmed, thinly sliced)
1 cup mixed peas (such as baby and/or trimmed snow and/or sugar snap, halved if large)
1 egg (large, lightly beaten, or 8 oz silken tofu or 2.5 oz yuba sheets)
kosher salt

Method

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium. Cook garlic and ginger, stirring often, until softened and very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water. Combine miso and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl and stir to dissolve miso. Whisk into aromatics, then add soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and ½ tsp. Aleppo-style pepper. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat as needed to maintain a simmer and cook until flavors come together, about 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and peas and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Gently stir in the egg (a few turns of a spoon will be enough to set it into ribbons without blasting it apart) and cook until just set, about 30 seconds. Or, if using tofu, drop in by spoonfuls, or if using yuba, thinly slice before adding, and cook just until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with more Aleppo-style pepper if desired.