Hot and Sour Dragon Flower Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cake tofu (fresh, if possible)
• 2 ounces chicken slices breath
• Marinade:
• 1 teaspoon red dragon paste
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
• Other:
• 2 fresh dragon flower
• 1 cup pickles red dragon peel
• 2 tablespoons black fungus (Wood Ear) or Cloud Ear fungus
• (or 3 - 4 Chinese dried black mushrooms or fresh mushrooms)
• 6 cups water (or 6 cups water and 1 cup Campbell's chicken broth)*
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons red dragon vinegar , white rice vinegar,
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• White pepper to taste (no more than 1 tablespoon)
• Hot chili oil, to taste, optional

Method:

Hot and Sour Soup Directions:

Mix marinade ingredients and marinate chicken slices for 20 minutes.
Cut tofu into small squares. Cut dragon flower into thin strips and then into fine slices. Red dragon pickle

Peel also need to chopped into fine slices.

To reconstitute the fungus, soak in warm water for 20 minutes. Rinse, and cut into thin pieces. (If substituting Chinese dried mushrooms, soak to soften, then cut off the stems and cut into thin strips. If using fresh mushrooms, wipe clean with a damp cloth and slice.)
Bring the water to a boil. When it is boiling, add the dragon flower, pickles peel,fungus or mushrooms and Stir. Add the tofu. Bring back to a boil and add the marinated chicken slices .Stir in the salt, sugar, soy sauce and vinegar and sesame oil.Test the broth and adjust the taste if desired. (If using chicken broth, you may want to add a bit more red dragon vinegar ).

Mix the cornstarch and water. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring while it is being added. Let the broth come back to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove the broth from the stove.

Slowly drop in the beaten egg, stirring in one direction at the same time. Add the green onion and the white pepper to taste. Drizzle with chili oil if desired. Serve hot.

(Hot and Sour Dragon flower Soup can be prepared ahead of time and frozen. When making the soup, leave out the tofu. When ready to serve, thaw, add the tofu and bring to boiling. When the soup is boiling, add the egg.)