Hot and Sour Soup

One of my all time favorites....I've been eating this delicious soup for as long as I can remember....
I decided to use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth, but I will try it next time with veggie broth.  The spiciness of this dish was perfect with the 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp dark sesame oil, divided
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 8oz sliced mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp minced or grated fresh ginger
• 1 (32oz) carton vegetable broth
• 2 1/4 cups water, divided
• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 lb firm or extra firm tofu, diced
• 2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• Salt, to taste
• Cayenne pepper, to taste
• 3 egg whites lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Instructions

• 1
  1. Heat olive oil and 1 tsp sesame oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute. Add mushrooms and saute until soft and browned. Add garlic and ginger and continue sauteing 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
• 2
  2. Add vegetable broth and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add vinegar, soy sauce, pepper and tofu, and simmer another 3 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup water and cornstarch. Add to pot and continue simmering 3 additional minutes, stirring frequently. Season to taste with salt & cayenne (I like it spicy, so I used about 1/4 tsp cayenne).
• 3
  3. Slowly stream egg whites into the pot while stirring continuously. Remove pot from heat and stir in green onions and remaining 1 tsp sesame oil.
• 4
  4. Serve immediately

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