Chinese Hot and Sour Soup

Ingredients

• 0.3 cup ham smoked raw coarsely chopped for vegetarian (omit )
• 8 ounce bamboo skewers drained sliced canned
• 4 tablespoons vinegar black chinese (aka Chinkiang vinegar)
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar 
• 2 teaspoons chili oil 
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce such as sambal oelek
• 6  cloud ear mushrooms dried
• 2  eggs lightly beaten
• 2 cloves garlic peeled smashed
• 2 inches ginger sliced
• 4  green onions cut into 2 inch slices
• 4  green onions sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper white
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil 
• 6  mushroom caps dried black chinese (aka mushrooms)
• 3 tablespoons soya sauce 
• 8 ounces spicy tofu firm drained sliced in 1/4-inch strips
• 4 cups vegetable broth 
• 4 cups vegetable broth chinese (see below)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch into water mixed
• 8  lily buds dried
• 8  lily buds dried

Equipment

• sauce pan
• pot

Directions

1. Pour 1 cup boiling water over the wood ear and shiitake mushrooms and soak until tender, about 15 minutes, before slicing them and reserving the water.
2. Pour 1 cup boiling water over the lily buds and soak until tender, about 15 minutes, before slicing them and discarding the water.Bring the broth, reserved mushroom water, mushrooms, lily buds, pork, bamboo shoots, tofu, vinegar, chili sauce, soy sauce and sugar to a boil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Mix in the cornstarch and water mixture and simmer until the soup thickens a bit, about 2 minutes.Slowly pour in the eggs in a small stream while string the pot to get long, thin streams of egg in the soup.
4. Mix in the sesame oil, chili oil, white pepper and green onions, remove from heat and enjoy!
5. Place everything in a large sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes before straining out the solids.