Hot and Sour Soup with Bean Sprouts

Ingredients

• 1 serrano chile pepper, seeded and minced
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 1/2 pound firm tofu, cut into strips
• 1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoot strips, drained
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, leaves picked from stems
• 1 egg, beaten

Directions

Place the minced serrano and chicken broth into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Stir in the garlic and ginger, simmer for 1 minute. Stir in the shiitake mushrooms, tofu, and bamboo strips, simmer for 2 minutes to soften mushrooms.

Stir in the bean sprouts, tamari, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and black pepper; simmer for 1 minute to soften the bean sprouts.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the mirin, and stir into the simmering soup; cook for 30 seconds to thicken. Remove from heat and pour in beaten egg while stirring slowly. Ladle soup into bowls; garnish with green onion and cilantro leaves.