Suan La fen (hot and sour soup)
Lately I really struggle with cooking lunches. I often end up with not making anything (so bad) and then just snack until dinner time. So there is never enough quick recipes - like this one that takes about 20 mins and is so tasty. You can easily make it your way - you can add anything you like tofu, tempeh, mushrooms,.. Or replace any ingredients - it is all written in ingredients and if you don’t have some of the ingredients at home (I know, not everyone has Chinese black vinegar for example), read notes, it can be replaced.
Serves 1
Ingredients
100g sweet potato noodles
1tbsp peanuts (or soy beans - but they have to be soaked overnight)
1tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1tbsp soy sauce
1/2tsp chili oil
1/4tsp Sichuan pepper (powder)
1tsp sesame seeds
1 clove of garlic (minced)
250ml hot vegetable stock
vegetable oil
coriander (chopped)
spring onion (green part chopped)
Method
If you are using soy beans, soak them water the night before you make this soup.
In a bigger saucepan bring water to a boil and cook sweet potato noodles - look at instructions on the package, it may vary. Once cooked, drain and set aside. (If you are taking time with the rest of the ingredients, rinse them in cold water, otherwise they’ll stick).
Put chili oil, sichuan pepper, sesame seeds and garlic into a bowl you’re going to serve your soup in. Heat up 1tbsp of vegetable oil in a pan until hot - you can see how it kind of simmers - and once it’s hot, pour over pepper, sesame seeds and garlic. It will sizzle and smell very nice. Then add soy sauce and vinegar.
On a medium heat heat up 1tbsp of oil in a pan and add peanuts/soy beans. Fry for about 5 minutes until they start to brown.
Pour hot vegetable stock into your bowl, mix properly and add noodles. Top with peanuts/soy beans, coriander and spring onion.
Notes:
In case you don’t have sweet potato noodles, use rice vermicelli.
Instead of Chinese black vinegar, use rice vinegar.
If you like your food hot, add more chili oil but for me 1/2tsp is enough. Or add a pinch of white pepper.
If you have dark soy sauce at home, use that one - it tastes slightly better in my opinion.
You can use anything as topping really - if you have some tofu, why not. If you don’t like coriander (something I’ll never understand) don’t use it.