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Hot and sour soup is a lot like chili; every family has their own recipe, and each family thinks that theirs is the best. When I was in the local Chinese market perusing the mushrooms I asked one of the other shoppers, a tiny and ancient woman half my height whose etched wrinkles framed a friendly smile, where the wood ear mushrooms were.

“What are you using them for?”

“Hot and sour soup,” I replied.

“What? You don’t want those. Here,” she grabbed a bag of dried shiitake, “use these.”

“No! You don’t want those for hot and sour soup!” cried another, more stout lady behind me. She said something in Cantonese to the first lady before grabbing a fresh bunch of enoki mushrooms and throwing them in my basket. “This is better.”

Soon, nine women were having an all out argument in the middle of the aisle. I was stuck in the middle, caught between volleys of angry insults and defenses of cherished family recipes for hot and sour soup, both in Cantonese and English. People insulted each other’s families, critiqued the various provinces of China (all were in agreement that the people in the North, apparently, can’t cook good soup), and altered the contents of my shopping basket at whim. Eventually, a decision was reached that you absolutely have to use black fungus – an apt, but unappetizing name for a delightful ingredient – and lily buds. The other mushroom is up to you. Whatever one you decide on be sure to be ready to defend your choice.

Hot and Sour Soup Recipe

Yield: Serves 4.

You can use gluten-free soy sauce in this recipe, and use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian. However, do not substitute black pepper for the white pepper. The mushrooms and lily buds can be found at any Chinese market.

Ingredients 6 dried Chinese black fungus 6 dried wood ear, black, cloud, straw, or shiitake mushrooms, or one bunch of fresh enoki mushrooms 5 dried lily buds One can of bamboo shoots 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or rice vinegar 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce 1 tablespoon of cornstarch 4 cups of chicken broth (use gluten-free broth for gluten-free version) 1/2 block of firm tofu, diced into small cubes 1 egg, beaten 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 3 scallions, diced 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1 1/2 teaspoons of finely ground white pepper 1/4 teaspoon of chili oil (optional) Cilantro (optional)

Method

1 Pour boiling water over the mushrooms until the mushrooms are covered and allow them to soak for 20 minutes, turning the mushrooms over occasionally. It may not seem like a lot but they will grow quite a bit. After soaking remove any woody ends with a knife. Cut mushrooms into strips. Reserve 1/4 cup of the liquid and mix with the cornstarch. (If using fresh enoki mushrooms set aside as they do not need to soak).

2 Pour boiling water over the lily buds until covered and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Cut the buds crosswise then tear them up into a few bunches.

3 Mix the vinegars and soy sauce together and set aside. Open the can of bamboo shoots, drain well, and cut the shoots lengthwise into strips.

4 Place the chicken broth into a bot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the tofu, mushrooms, lily buds, bamboo shoots, vinegar mixture, and cornstarch mixture. Mix and bring back to a boil. Once it comes to a boil remove from heat. While stirring the soup slowly pour the egg into the broth in a small steam while stirring the soup allowing the egg to instantly cook and feather into the soup.

5 Add the scallions, white pepper, sesame oil, and chili oil if using. Taste and adjust white pepper, vinegar, and salt to taste. Add cilantro to garnish and for added flavor. Serve immediately.

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Recently my mom, Suzanne McCord, was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was surprised when I heard the news, my mother is in her early sixties, but is insanely active and healthy. The woman recently participated the AIDS lifecycle event; a 6 day, 550 mile bike ride. A few days after, she was off to Egypt and Russia. I get tired biking to work, and my last big trip was Napa which is only an hour away. In fact, her main concern after being diagnosed was that the surgery would get in the way of her bike riding.

After hearing about mom, I went to work doing some research about ways I could help using what I know best – food. I wanted to put together something that was easy to prepare, full of flavor, and packed with cancer fighting vitamins and antioxidants. After a bit of research into cancer smart foods and what seemed to work well, I developed this recipe.

This simple fruit salad works at the start of the meal or as a dessert. The fruit is lightly glazed with either a simple syrup or agave syrup. Ginger, a bit of lemon, and some savory thyme which pairs amazingly with summer fruits accents the tartness of the berries and the sweetness of the stone fruit. In recognition of my awesome, kicking cancer-butt mom, I’ve nicknamed this a Suzanne Salad.

Blueberry Peach Fruit Salad with Thyme Recipe

Yield:

Ingredients 4 peaches 4 nectarines 1 cup of blueberries 2 teaspoons of fresh, chopped thyme 1 teaspoon of grated ginger 1/4 cup of lemon juice 1 teaspoon of lemon zest 1/2 cup of water 1/4 cup of sugar (depending on how sweet the fruit is, you may be able to skip all together) Or 1 tablespoon of agave syrup in lieu of water and sugar

Method

1 If using water and sugar place them into a saucepot and bring to a boil and liquid is reduced by half into a simple syrup. Allow to cool.

2 Chop up the peaches and nectarines and place them in a bowl with the blueberries. Pour over the cooled simple syrup or agave syrup. Add the thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, and ginger.

3 Stir and cover with plastic wrap, place in the fridge and allow to macerate for one hour. Serve.

Hello! All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words and link back to the source recipe here on Simply Recipes. Thank you!

Garrett’s mom on her bike

Luckily, her surgery was a success and with the doctors finding no need to proceed with chemo or radiation she is well on the road of recovery; something she attributes to getting her yearly mammogram, which allowed her to catch it early. Guys and girls, please be sure to get yourself checked regularly by your doctor in order to keep yourself healthy, aware, and safe.

I, Elise, and my mother all encourage you to please check out the links at the end of this post for information on cancer awareness and various resources. We also encourage anyone with a food blog to post their own cancer conscious recipes or leave them in the comments section.

Cooking to Combat Cancerfrom Mele Cotte
Cooking to Combat Cancer 2from Mele Cotte
Taste of Yellowfrom Winos and Foodies
World’s Healthiest Foods
Cook for the Cure
American Cancer Society
Prostate Cancer Foundation