Mandarin Hot and Sour Soup

------------- Recipe Extracted from Meal-Master (tm) v6.15 ------------------

Title: Mandarin Hot and Sour Soup
Categories: Soups 999
Servings: 4

8 c Soup stock, 6-8 cups 1/4 lb Pork, lean
1/2 ea Square bean curd (optional) 1/4 c Shredded bamboo shoot
3 ea Dried black mushrooms 2-3* 2 T Sliced can button
mushrooms
4 ea Dried wood ears (optional)* 2 ea Stalks green onion,
chopped
1 ea Slice cooked ham, shredded** 4 T Vinegar
1 t Chili Oil (optional) 1/4 t White pepper
3/4 t Salt 1/2 t Sesame oil
1/2 t Sugar 1 T Soy sauce
2 ea Eggs lightly beaten 3 T Cornstarch in 3 T water

* Soaked and shredded.
** Optional
Bring soup stock to a boil, add shredded pork, black mushrooms and wood
ears. Cook 2-3 minutes. Add remainder of ingredients and seasonings
(except cornstarch, eggs, and green onion) reduce heat and simmer for 2
minutes. Thicken with cornstarch and turn off heat. Slowly pour in beaten
eggs in a thin stream while stirring. Serve immediately. Garnish with
green onion.
If soup is to be prepared ahead of time, do not add cornstarch and eggs
until serving time. Otherwise the egg will be overcooked and spoil the
appearance. Soup should be quite hot and sour. Adjust the hotness with
varying amount of white pepper and the sourness with different amounts of
vinegar.

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