Hot & Sour Vegetarian Soup (adopted from Molly Katzen)

• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1 oz dried Chinese black mushrooms (Shitakie)
• 3 T dry sherry or rice wine (I’ve always used sherry)
• 1 T cider vinegar
• 3 T soy sauce
• 1-3/4 t salt
• 1/4 lb firm tofu (I've used 5oz) thinly sliced (I chop it up into small pieces)
• 2 T cornstarch
• 2 eggs beaten
• 6 green onions, minced
• 1/4 t white pepper
• hot chili sesame oil (I put 1 t in the soup when I'm cooking)

1. In a small bowl pour 2 cups of boiling broth over dried mushrooms. Cover with a plate and let sit 30 minutes.
2. Drain mushrooms saving the liquid. De-stem if necessary, discard stems and slice caps.
3. Combine remaining 6 cups broth with mushroom liquid and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer.
4. Add sherry, soy sauce, salt, cider vinegar and tofu, lower heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add hot chili sesame oil if you want the soup to be hotter. I like adding at least 1 t.
5. Whisk cornstarch and 3/4 cups of the soup until dissolved. Return this liquid to the soup.
6. Slowly pour the beaten eggs into the soup while stirring. Add green onions and pepper cook another 2 - 3 minutes.
7. Serve with a few drops of sesame oil on top of each serving.