Hunan hot & sour noodle soup 酸辣湖南粉

Hunan hot & Sour noodle soup is very similar to Sichuan hot and sour soup. This soup is not thickened with cornflour but rice noodles are added to bulk up the soup. Either serve this as soup with a meal or full meal on its own.

Quick and simple recipe. This recipe is enough for 2 -3 as full meal, or 4 people as a meal with other dishes.

Ingredients:

150 -160g pork, cut into very fine slivers/strips
dash of light soy
1tsp of cornflour
dash of shaoshing wine

3 shitake mushroom (about 50p size), soaked and cut into thin slices
125g bamboo shoot, cut into matchstick size
1 medium carrot, cut into fine matchstick size
2 medium size pak choi. sliced (I don't have this when making this soup, so left it out)

1 clove garlic, finely chopped
a little cooking oil
1.5 - 1.7 litres of diluted stock or water
1 tsp of chicken stock powder (optional can leave out if using stock)
2 - 3 tbsp chilli bean sauce
1/2 - 1 tsp Chinese chilli sauce/paste in a jar or minced fresh chilli (optional if you like spicy)
1.5 - 2 tbsp light soy
2 - 3 tbsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar
2 tsp of sesame oil
ground pepper (much as you like, more if you like spicy)

250 - 280g thick cut dried rice noodles

2 stalks of spring onion, chopped


Method:

1. Marinate pork with soy, cornflour and wine for about 20 minutes.
   
2. Fry the garlic with a little oil, then add pork stir till turning brown then add chilli bean sauce and fresh or bottled chilli paste/sauce/minced chilli. Stir fry till fragrant.
3. Add mushroom, carrot and bamboo shoot, stir then add stock/water and stock powder.
4. Bring this to the boil. Add soy, vinegar, sesame oil and ground pepper.
   
5. Add the dried noodles straight in the soup without soaking. Boil till noodles beginning to soften. If using pak choi add this now. Continue boiling till noodles and pak choi are cooked.
6. Add in spring onion. Ready to eat.