This hot and sour chicken soup is a variant of our favorite Chinese soup, Sour and Pungent Soup. You can thicken this if you like with cornstarch, or slowly stir a beaten egg into the simmering soup, similar to Egg Drop Soup (which is a non-spicy Chinese soup alternative).
2 boneless chicken breasts
8 oz can bamboo shoots
8 oz soft tofu
6 large mushrooms mushrooms
2 quarts chicken stock
1/2 C white or cider vinegar
1 T ground white pepper (approximate — adjust according to your tolerance for spicy food)
1/4 C soy sauce
8 oz of bean thread noodles
6 green onions
Dark sesame oil
Cut the bamboo shoots into matchsticks, slice the green onions and mushrooms, and cut the tofu into small cubes. Slice the chicken breasts into matchsticks.
Heat stock, vinegar, pepper, and soy sauce in a medium saucepan. Add chicken and cook for 5-10 minutes, until it floats to the top and is cooked. Add everything but the green onions and sesame oil and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Serve in bowls sprinkled with the green onions and a few drops of sesame oil.