This is an authentic and healthier version of the popular Chinese take out of Hot and Sour soup. This version is gluten free, corn free, egg free and refined sugar free. You can make it AIP elimination compliant by by replacing tamari with coconut aminos and by eliminating the peppers completely.
Chinese Hot and Sour soup used to be my favorite before I got RA. After I started AIP, I had to avoid it because of the corn starch, sugars, soy and the nightshades (peppers). Also most hot and sour soups have egg in them.
Are there any specialty ingredients used in this Hot and Sour Chicken Soup?
Yes there are a few special ingredients used in this recipe. These are what makes this recipe authentic and gives it that delicious flavor! All of these ingredients you can buy online on amazon (see links below) or you can get them from your local asian grocery store. I get them locally as they are much cheaper at the store than online.
1. Dried Lily buds – https://amzn.to/49SdG7R.
2. Black Fungus – https://amzn.to/3IHoI3P
3. Dried Shitake Mushrooms – https://amzn.to/3VfUNau
Can this soup be made AIP Compliant?
Yes this recipe can be made AIP compliant by avoiding the nightshades(red chilli) and the seed spices (white pepper and black pepper). The soup will still have a lot of flavor because of all the other ingredients that are used that give the soup a lot of umami. You can replace black pepper with Ganthoda powder, which is AIP compliant.
Can you make this recipe with pork?
Yes you can easily substitute the chicken in this recipe with pork.
How can you eat this Hot and Sour Chicken soup?
You can have this delicious soup as is served just like a light meal. Or you can add some cooked sweet potato noodles or any other gluten free noodles to it to have it as a full, saisfying meal.
- ½ cup dried shitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water
- ½ cup black fungus, soaked in hot water
- ½ cup dried lily buds, soaked in hot water
- 1 dry red chilli soaked in hot water (omit for AIP)
- 1.5 lbs of chicken thighs (or breasts), thawed to room temperature
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp white pepper powder (avoid for AIP elimination)
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups shredded cabbage
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 4 cups water
- 4 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 4 tbsp tamari sauce or coconut aminos (use coconut aminos for AIP)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or umeplum vinegar
- 1 tsp roasted sesame oil (optional)
- ½ cup water
- salt and black pepper as needed (avoid black pepper for AIP; you can use Ganthoda powder instead)
- Soak the dried shitake, dried lily buds and the black fungus in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
- Add the chicken, the ground ginger, salt, white pepper, black pepper, garlic powder and water to the instant pot. Pressure cook for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the cabbage and the scallions and all the soaked vegetables.
- Once the pressure cooking time is over, release pressure manually and then carefully open the instant pot lid. Remove the chicken pieces using a spoon into a mixing bowl. Use a fork or your hands to shred the chicken into shreds. Add the chicken back to the instant pot.
- Press saute button now on the instant pot. Add all the chopped vegetables to the pot including all the soaked vegetables. Add the rest of the water and let cook for about 10 minutes on saute mode.
- Next in a small mixing bowl, add the arrowroot starch, the tamari (or coconut aminos), the vinegar and the water. Stir with a spoon slowly until the arrowroot starch's resistance gives way and you get a slurry.
- Once the 10 minutes cooking time is done, slowly add the slurry to the soup while stirring with a spoon with the other hand. Let cook for another 1 minute or so until the soup thickens. Turn the instant pot off (press cancel).
- Taste and adjust for seasoning - adding more salt or pepper or tamari or vinegar as needed.
- Serve soup hot on top of cooked sweet potato noodles or just like that.
You can watch a step by step video tutorial of this recipe on my youTube channel:
