Hot And Sour Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. Woodear strips, soaked in water about 4 hours
1/2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
5 oz. bean curd (about 1/3 of a 1 lb. pkg. cut in thin 1-inch slices)
1/2 c. bamboo shoots
2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
4 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
3/4 tsp. white pepper
3/4 tsp. Chinese red hot pepper sauce
10 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. cornstarch, blended with 4 Tbsp. water
1/2 c. thin strips of fresh pork
3 or 4 beaten eggs
10 c. chicken broth
chopped green onions for garnish, if desired

Preparation

Heat chicken broth to boiling.
Add pork strips, bamboo shoots, Woodear (drained), bean curd and mushrooms.
Return to boiling and add salt, soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, red pepper sauce and vinegar, stirring all along.
Continue boiling for a total cooking time of 20 minutes.
Stir in cornstarch mixture and keep stirring until soup is thickened.
Pour beaten eggs gently over the top.
Turn off the heat and stir eggs gently into soup. Add sesame oil.
Spoon into bowls and serve topped with chopped green onions, if desired.