Hot & Sour Cabbage Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sesame oil
4 ounces leeks, diced (white part only)
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 ounce ginger, grated
1/2 head cabbage, shaved thinly (use a madoline if available)
6 ounces bamboo shoots, cut into strips (reserve liquid for later)
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
1 quart low sodium vegetable broth
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
8 chili peppers, Calabrian, diced, with oil
4 ounces Chinkiang vinegar
3 ounces rice vinegar
1/2 cup water (or use drained liquid from canned vegetables)
3 ounces cornstarch (or 4 ounces of flour)
2 large eggs
2 ounces cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish

Preparation

Heat sesame oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add leeks and saute for about 5 minutes, scraping the bottom continuously with a spoon or spatula. Add garlic and ginger and saute for another minute, stirring continuously.
Add cabbage and bamboo shoots to pot and stir thoroughly to coat. Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.Stir in tamarind paste to coat thoroughly and cook for another minute. Add vegetable stock and stir thoroughly.
Open the can of tomatoes, but leave them in the can. Add chopped Calabrian chili peppers (minus the stems) to the can. Use an immersion blender for 30 seconds or so to blend tomatoes and peppers together. Add mixture to the pot and stir thoroughly.
Add both vinegars to the pot and stir. Cook for 20 minutes on medium heat, or until cabbage is tender.
In a separate bowl, use liquid reserved from bamboo shoots to blend with cornstarch. Alternately, use 1/2 cup of water or some of the soup removed from the pot. Blend the cornstarch mixture into the soup by pouring in a steady stream while stirring continuously.
Whisk two eggs in a bowl, then blend them into the soup by pouring in a stead stream while stirring continuously. This will produce a \"feathering\" effect in the soup.
Stir in chopped cilantro and serve, adding additional fresh cilantro as a garnish.