When the rain is pattering against my windows and the howling wind sweeps through my yard, making the world outside seem eerie and frightful, all I want to do is curl up under a blanket with a mug of something warm. This weekend Mark and I did just that, and it was surprisingly nice to simply relax in this dreadful weather. Of course, before we snuggled up in front of the TV and watched my favorite Rom Com (How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) of all time, we had to get some cooking done first.

On Saturday during our morning walk/run, I declared, out of the blue, that I was craving some Chinese hot and sour soup. A soup that I hadn’t eaten in quite a long time, and frankly, didn’t necessarily enjoy when it was readily available.

Perhaps it had something to do with the gray weather that made every meal seem incomplete if there wasn’t a bowl of soup to go alongside it. I was craving a tart soup, though. Something along the lines of the greek soup: avgolemono, but with more ‘stuff’ in it. And so Mark, being the patient and awesome guy that he is, rolled with my plans and to the Asian market we went!

We purchased some enoki mushrooms (above) as well as some fresh U.S. grown Shiitake mushrooms (below).

With my mom’s guidance, I was able to whip this soup together in no time. It was surprisingly simple to make, but that’s something that I’ve discovered about soups. They’re easy. This soup is very similar to an egg drop soup, but it contains more vegetables, or should I say, fungi? Tart, slightly spicy, with a hint of ginger, this soup is the ultimate ‘pick me up and keep me warm’ kind of soup.



Save Print Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup Author: Health Nut Hayley Recipe type: Soup Cuisine: vegetarian Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 30 mins Serves: 5 Vegetarian hot and sour soup based off the traditional hot and sour soup. Ingredients 100 grams/4 oz. enoki mushrooms (chop off the root that holds them together)

2 fresh U.S. grown Shiitake Mushrooms (de-stemmed and sliced)

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 shallot (peeled and sliced)

1 inch ginger (peeled)

½ carrot (shredded)

3 Tbsp cornstarch (optional)

2 eggs

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

3-4 Tbsp distilled vinegar

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

2 tsp Sriracha

1 green onion for garnish (chopped/sliced) Instructions In a large pot, add a tablespoon of olive oil sautee the ginger for a minute or so. Add the vegetable broth and water. Let the pot simmer covered for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and sautee shallots. Once the shallots start to slightly brown, add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and carrots. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the vegetables and cook for about 2-3 minutes (until the mushrooms have slightly cooked). In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of water until there are no more chunks. Stir the broth and slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the broth. Then, beat two eggs in a small bowl. While quickly stirring the pot, pour the beat eggs into the pot (be sure the stir the pot quickly!). Add the shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and enoki mushrooms (make sure that the enoki mushrooms are somewhat separated from each other) Add the vinegar, Sriracha, and soy sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add more vinegar, Sriracha, or soy sauce if needed. Serve the soup in small bowls, top with green onions for garnish if you'd like. 3.5.3226

My family and I devoured every remaining drop! Even my grandma, who is one of the pickiest eaters I know (all she ever wants to eat is tofu and rice), was asking me to make this again tonight. She LIKED it! SUCCESS! I was ready to dance around in the kitchen when she announced that she wanted more. Guys, when grandma likes something, that means that it had to have been yummy.

With a slight spicy kick to it, this soup definitely fulfilled any cravings that I had and was a perfect contrast to this wet and cold weather. If you’re dealing with awful weather or battling a cold, this soup may be the one for you!

Now, who’s ready for Monday? I hope you all had time to recharge so that you can make Monday amazing! Stay happy and healthy, y’all!

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