This easy Chicken Hot and Sour Soup recipe is my homemade version of the soup found on the menu at many Chinese restaurants. The blend of heat from the spices is balanced with the tanginess of the rice vinegar.
Most of the restaurants in my area make this soup with tiny cubes of tofu. I like to swap them out for some shredded chicken. It makes the soup filling and more than just something to eat as an appetizer.
I love the fact that you can use leftover chicken to make this recipe. Use up leftover chicken breast, cooked chicken or shredded chicken.
If you have some left over chicken pieces in your refrigerator looking to be turned into something delicious then give this a try. You won’t be sorry!
Chicken Hot and Sour Soup Recipe
What is hot and sour soup?
Hot and sour soup sounds just like its name. It’s a blend of spicy, savory and tangy flavors.
Chili peppers, hot pepper flakes, black pepper as well as white pepper powder can be used to provide the spicy heat.
Rice vinegar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even Chinese black vinegar (if you can find it) is used to provide the tang.
The savory flavors come from the broth (chicken broth, vegetable broth and sometimes pork broth) as well as the other ingredients which include mushrooms and bamboo shoots.
Finally the soup is thickened with beaten egg that has been slowly poured into the hot broth. The silky egg ribbons in the soup thicken it. If you’ve ever tried egg drop soup then you will find the consistency is similar.
Ingredients for Chicken Hot and Sour Soup:
- Chicken Broth – use your favorite chicken broth or even homemade chicken stock to make this soup.
- Chicken – use cooked shredded chicken, diced chicken or whatever type of chicken you have on hand.
- Mushrooms – these add a savory flavor to the soup. You can use your favorite sliced fresh mushrooms. Typically you would find shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms or a similar variety of mushrooms used in restaurant produced soups. I use white button mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms as this is what I can find in my local grocery store.
Wood ears are used in the traditional Chinese recipe but these aren’t found in my local stores. If you prefer to use them or just want to give them a try they can be purchased online or in local Asian markets if you have any near you.
- Ginger – you can use ground ginger or fresh grated ginger for this recipe. I prefer the fresh grated ginger and keep several pieces of ginger in my freezer to use when needed. You don’t even need to peel them before grating if you use a micro planer.
- Garlic – I like to use fresh cloves of garlic or jarred garlic for this recipe.
- Soy Sauce – use regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce if you need to watch your salt intake.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – to give this recipe heat I use either crushed red pepper flakes or chili garlic sauce (available in most grocery stores where ever you would find Chinese food ingredients).
- Toasted sesame oil – you will want to make sure to use this. It adds amazing flavor to your soup. Make sure to get TOASTED sesame oil. If you find sesame oil it will not have the same flavor as the toasted oil. Store this in the refrigerator to extend the life of this oil
- Vinegar – you’ll want to use rice vinegar, white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or whatever type you have on hand. I’ve even used red wine vinegar and found that it works well with this recipe.
Green onions – added to the soup when serving it.
- Fresh cilantro, chopped – also added to the soup when serving.
- Beaten egg – use at least 1 large egg for this soup.
How to make Chicken Hot and Sour Soup
Dice or shred your left over cooked chicken and set aside.
If you don’t have left over chicken then cook 1 chicken breast or 2 to 3 chicken thighs, cool and dice or shred to use in this recipe.
In a large saucepan combine the chicken broth, chicken, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and red pepper flakes over a medium heat. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat.
Add the vinegar to taste.
In a small bowl beat the egg. Drizzle the egg slowly in a thin stream into the cooking soup while gently stirring. This should create long strands of cooked egg. Continue to simmer for about 3 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and serve. Top the soup with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, sliced green onion and cilantro.
The amount of red pepper flakes and vinegar can be adjusted to suit your personal tastes.
Do you need to add salt to this recipe?
I’ve had people ask why there is no salt included in this recipe.
Actually there’s a good amount of salt in this recipe. It’s found in the chicken broth and soy sauce. Both of these ingredients contain salt.
If needed you can always add a bit more soy sauce to enhance the flavor. Add it in small amounts to prevent the soup from becoming too salty.
Is hot and sour soup keto friendly?
Yes, it can be.
Restaurant soups often use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the broth up a bit. You can always ask your server if they do.
Restaurant soups may or may not contain ingredients such as bamboo shoots and tofu which can contribute a small amount of carbs to the soup.
When making this soup at home you have more control over the ingredients used. Most of the carbs come from the mushrooms.
If you add additional ingredients into the soup, such as bamboo shoots or cubes of firm tofu, they will increase the carb count. Just keep this in mind and add in the additional carbs based on whatever ingredients you include.
Storing Chicken Hot and Sour Soup:
If you have any leftovers store them in an airtight container for up to a week.
You can reheat the soup in the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove.
What to serve with Chicken Hot and Sour Soup:
Serve this soup along side some of these dishes:
Lettuce Wraps
Sesame Chicken
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Chicken Hot and Sour Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot
Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounces shredded chicken
- 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger or 1 inch of fresh ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 Green Onions sliced thin
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large saucepan combine the chicken broth, chicken, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and then reduce to low heat.6 cups chicken broth, 8 ounces shredded chicken, 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms, 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger, 2 teaspoons Garlic, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Add the vinegar to taste.4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- In a small bowl beat the egg. Drizzle the egg slowly into the cooking soup while gently stirring. This should create long strands of cooked egg. Continue to simmer for about 3 minutes.1 large egg
- Remove the soup from the heat and serve. Top the soup with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, sliced green onion and cilantro.1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 Green Onions, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
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