Peking Soup (酸辣汤) – Hot and Sour Soup Like the Restaurant Version

In German Chinese restaurants, Peking soup is the hot and sour soup with strips of meat, tofu, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms and egg ribbons. Cornstarch lightly thickens the broth, vinegar makes it sour, and white pepper and chili make it hot. Tomato paste gives it the reddish color you know from the takeout counter.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

40 Mintotal

4servings

230kcal

ChineseCuisine ›

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Pour in the vinegar only at the very end, when the pot is already off the heat. That keeps the acidity fresh. For the egg ribbons, let the beaten egg run slowly over the tines of a fork into the simmering soup and do not stir for half a minute. If you stir too early, the egg clouds the broth. Soak the dried mushrooms before you cut anything else.

The Chinese original with more pepper and less sweetness is covered under suan la tang. A milder broth with dumplings you cook as wonton soup. As a starter before the main course, Chinese spring rolls go well.

Image: AI-generated.

Peking Soup (酸辣汤) – Hot and Sour Soup Like the Restaurant Version

Name: Peking Soup (酸辣汤) – Hot and Sour Soup Like the Restaurant Version
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 5 g dried wood ear mushrooms; 4 dried shiitake mushrooms; 150 g pork tenderloin or chicken breast, in fine strips; 1 tsp light soy sauce; 1 tsp cornstarch; 200 g firm tofu, in strips; 100 g bamboo shoots (jar or can), drained and in strips; 1 carrot, in fine sticks; 2 eggs; 1 l chicken stock; 2 tbsp light soy sauce; 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste); 3 tbsp cornstarch; 5 tbsp cold water; 4 tbsp rice vinegar or dark Chinese vinegar; 1 tsp ground white pepper; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil; 2 scallions, in fine rings

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

25 minutes

Cook time

15 minutes

Calories

230

Cuisine

Chinese

Ingredients

For the filling:

5 g dried wood ear mushrooms
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
150 g pork tenderloin or chicken breast, in fine strips
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
200 g firm tofu, in strips
100 g bamboo shoots (jar or can), drained and in strips
1 carrot, in fine sticks
2 eggs

For the soup:

1 l chicken stock
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste)
3 tbsp cornstarch
5 tbsp cold water
4 tbsp rice vinegar or dark Chinese vinegar
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 scallions, in fine rings

Instructions

Pour hot water over the wood ear and shiitake and let them swell for 20 minutes. Squeeze them out, cut off the hard shiitake stems and slice the mushrooms into fine strips.
Mix the meat with 1 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp starch. Meanwhile, cut the tofu, bamboo shoots and carrot.
Bring the stock to a boil in a pot. Add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots and carrot and simmer for 3 minutes.
Add the meat and stir it apart with chopsticks. Simmer for 2 minutes, until it is white all the way through, and add the tofu.
Stir in both soy sauces, tomato paste, sugar and sambal oelek. Stir 3 tbsp starch into the cold water, pour the mixture in while stirring and cook the soup for 1 minute, until it turns lightly creamy.
Beat the eggs. Let them run in a thin stream over a fork into the simmering soup, wait 30 seconds and draw a ladle through once.
Take the pot off the heat. Stir in the vinegar, white pepper and sesame oil, adjust with vinegar and pepper and sprinkle with the scallions.

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Peking Soup (酸辣汤) – Hot and Sour Soup Like the Restaurant Version

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Peking Soup (酸辣汤) – Hot and Sour Soup Like the Restaurant Version

Ingredients

For the filling:

For the soup:

Instructions

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