Hot and Sour Soup

We finally got some surf today, which was a nice treat. The water is starting to get pretty cold, so by the time I finished my session it was time for something warm and delicious. I thought some Hot and Sour Soup sounded pretty good and it was. Thank goodness there's enough for lunch tomorrow. While people are hating it with their Whoppers, I'll be loving all over my soup. The recipe is pretty straight forward, although it takes a bit of time to prep.

Yield
4 -5 servings

Ingredients
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 oz. pork loin cut into 3"-4" long, 1/4" thick strips
4 scallions - 3 minced, 1 thinly sliced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 small garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
12 ounces firm tofu, drained and diced (1/4 inch dice)
4 white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/4 cup each of rice vinegar and soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
12 canned bamboo shoots, julienned
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions
1. In a large saucepan, heat the canola oil. Add the pork, minced scallions, ginger and garlic and stir-fry over moderately-high heat until the pork is cooked through.

2. Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Then add the tofu, mushrooms, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, Tabasco, bamboo shoots, pepper and 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil and return the soup to a simmer.

3. Whisk the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of cold water, then whisk into the soup. (The cold water whisking is important to avoid lumps.) Whisk in the eggs and simmer for 1 minute.

4. Ladle into bowls and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Drizzle with remaining sesame oil, then sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve.

Notes
It took me forever to prepare my mise en place, but once it was done the cooking was fast. I used canned bamboo shoots and they worked great. I just took out 12 pieces, then thinly sliced them lengthwise.

When the soup is done, it's important to let it stand for a few minutes. If you try to eat it too soon, the vinegar and the Tabasco are being released as steam will be too overpowering.