Hot and Sour Meatball Soup

By Maverick19

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz dried wood ear mushrooms
• 3 1-inch pieces peeled ginger, 2 pieces cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 scallions, chopped, plus thinly sliced scallions for garnish
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 lb fatty ground pork
• 6 Tbsp black vinegar
• kosher salt and white pepper
• 6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 1 large egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
• 1/2 lb firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 8oz can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a small heatproof bowl, cover the mushrooms with boiling water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes, drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the uncut piece of ginger with the chopped scallions and garlic. Add the shrimp and pulse to chop. Scrape the mixture into a bowl; fold in the pork, 1 Tbsp of the black vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Mix and roll into twenty 1 inch balls; transfer to a baking sheet.

3. In a large pot, bring the stock and half of the ginger matchsticks to a simmer over moderately high heat. Using a circular motion, pour the beaten egg into the broth. Wait 5 seconds, then stir the broth to distribute the egg throughout. Add the meatballs, drained mushrooms, tofu and bamboo shoots and simmer over moderate heat until the meatballs are just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in 3 Tbsp of the vinegar, the sesame oil and a pinch of pepper. Season with salt

4. In a small bowl, stir the remaining ginger matchsticks into the remaining 2 Tablespoons of black vinegar. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with sliced scallions and serve hot with the ginger-vinegar mixture.