Samlar M'Choo (bless you)

Boy oh boy was I sad to miss Michelle's amazing hot and sour soup today. She's a pro at Cambodian food, too – in fact she'll be leaving us soon to go back! We'll miss her. (And her cooking.)

Hot and Sour Soup (Samlar M’Choo in Cambodian)

The best part about this soup is the shopping adventure in Chinatown… you’ll be amazed at how many dried mushroom varietals (among other things!) exist out there!

Here’s what you’ll need (serves 4):

* 1 cake tofu (fresh, if possible)

* 2 ounces pork tenderloin (for the carnivore variety – I left this out for our club version)

Marinade (only if you’re using the pork):

* 1 teaspoon soy sauce

* 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

* 1 teaspoon tapioca starch (or cornstarch)

Other:

* 1/2 cup bamboo shoots

* 2 tablespoons black fungus (Wood Ear) or Cloud Ear fungus

* 3 – 4 small handfuls of Chinese dried black mushrooms (I added 2 different kinds in our soup)

* 1 small handful dried lily buds (you need these for the flavour)

* 6 cups water (or 6 cups water and 1 cup chicken broth) – I used ½ water, ½ veggie broth

* 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

* 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

* 2 tablespoons soy sauce

* 4 tablespoons Chinkiang Vinegar – a black vinegar made from rice, wheat bran, sugar and salt that you can buy in any Asian market… you can use rice vinegar as well, but it’s not as flavourful and won’t give your soup that rich, dark colour.

* 1 teaspoon sesame oil

* 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

* 1 green onion, finely chopped

* White pepper to taste (no more than 1 tablespoon)

* Hot chili oil, to taste, optional (but oh-so-good!)

* Bean sprouts for garnish (or anything you please…)

Preparation: If adding the meat, shred pork. Mix marinade ingredients and marinate pork for 30 minutes. Cut tofu into small squares. Cut bamboo shoots into thin strips and then into fine slices. To reconstitute the fungus, soak in warm water for 30 minutes. Rinse, and cut into thin pieces. With Chinese dried mushrooms, soak to soften, then cut off the stems and cut into thin strips. To reconstitute the dried lily buds, soak in hot water for 30 minutes or until softened. Cut off the hard ends. Bring the water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the bamboo shoots, fungus, mushrooms, and the lily buds. Stir. Add the tofu. Bring back to a boil and add the marinated pork. Stir in the salt, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar and sesame oil. Test the broth and adjust the taste if desired. (If using chicken broth, you may want to add a bit more black vinegar). Mix the cornstarch and water. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring while it is being added. Let the broth come back to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove the broth from the stove. Add the green onion and the white pepper to taste. Drizzle with chili oil if desired. Serve hot.

You can also add a few tablespoons of grated fresh ginger to this recipe (great for cold relief!) as well as a beaten egg at the very end for more of that “egg-drop-soup” effect. I garnish with bean sprouts but you can top with chili peppers, fried wontons, anything that strikes your fancy! Serve with a side of tissues…

Let the sinus-clearing begin – enjoy!