Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup

• 10 ounces mushroom vegetarian broth or vegetable broth
• 20 ounces water
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 leek
• 1 can pineapple chunks (with juice)
• Bean Sprouts
• Firm or extra firm tofu
• Sugar
• Soy sauce
• Mushroom seasoning or salt
• Black pepper
• Cilantro

Bring water and broth to a boil.

While waiting for the soup to boil, chop tomatoes into chunks or wedges, cube tofu, and slice leeks thinly (white part only). Once the soup is boiling, add in half a can of pineapple juice—save the pineapple chunks for later. Let the soup continue to boil for 5 minutes with a lid on.

Season the soup with sugar, soy sauce, and mushroom seasoning to suit your palate. The end result should be sour, but not unpleasantly so. My grandma likes to add a dash of vinegar to intensify the soup’s sourness. Once the soup is well-seasoned, add in vegetables, tofu, and pineapples. The exact amount of vegetables, tofu, and pineapples added to the soup is dependent on the prefernce of the cook.

Serve hot on top of rice and garnish with cilantro and a sprinkling of black pepper.

—

For Canh Chua Bac Ha, add button mushrooms and slices of bac ha, also known as Upright Elephant Ears, to the above recipe.