Alice Rose The name of this soup tells you exactly what needs to be right about it: enough heat, and enough sourness, in proper balance with each other.
A lot of homemade versions lean too far one way or lose both flavours entirely once other ingredients dilute the broth.
This recipe adds the vinegar and white pepper right at the end, off a hard simmer, so neither flavour cooks off before it reaches the bowl.
It comes together quickly, with the broth doing most of the work rather than a long list of ingredients.
Why Adding the Seasoning at the End Keeps This Soup Properly Balanced
Vinegar and white pepper both lose potency the longer they’re simmered, which is why hot and sour soup often tastes flat by the time it reaches the table if these are added too early in the cooking process.
Stirring them in right at the end, just before serving, keeps their sharpness intact rather than letting a long simmer mellow them out.
Cornflour, mixed into a slurry rather than added dry, thickens the broth without leaving lumps, giving the soup its characteristic slightly silky body.
Beaten egg drizzled in slowly while stirring creates fine ribbons through the broth, rather than clumping into large pieces, which happens if the egg is added too quickly or without stirring continuously.
Ingredients for Gordon Ramsay Hot and Sour Soup
- 1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
- 100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 200g firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- Salt, to taste
How to Make Gordon Ramsay Hot and Sour Soup — Step by Step
Step 1 — Simmer the Base
Bring the stock to a simmer in a large pot. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
Step 2 — Add the Tofu
Add the tofu cubes and soy sauce, and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Step 3 — Thicken the Soup
Give the cornflour slurry a quick stir to recombine, then pour it into the simmering soup while stirring continuously. Cook for 1–2 minutes until slightly thickened.
Step 4 — Add the Egg
Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer. Drizzle in the beaten egg slowly in a thin stream while stirring the soup in one direction, creating fine ribbons.
Step 5 — Finish the Seasoning
Remove from the heat. Stir in the rice vinegar and white pepper. Taste and add salt if needed.
Step 6 — Serve
Stir through the sesame oil and spring onions. Serve immediately, piping hot.
My Top Tips for the Best Gordon Ramsay Hot and Sour Soup
Add the vinegar and white pepper right at the end, off the heat, as both lose their sharpness if simmered for too long.
Stir the soup in one direction while drizzling in the egg, as this creates fine, even ribbons rather than large clumps.
Recombine the cornflour slurry just before adding it, since cornflour settles quickly and needs a quick stir to avoid lumps forming in the soup.
Taste before adding extra vinegar or pepper, as the balance of hot and sour is easy to overshoot once you start adjusting.
Serve immediately once finished, as this soup is at its best piping hot and can lose some of its sharpness the longer it sits.
Serving Suggestions
Serve as a starter before a Chinese-style meal, or as a light meal on its own with a side of steamed rice. A few extra chilli flakes or a drizzle of chilli oil on top suits anyone who wants more heat.
How to Store Gordon Ramsay Hot and Sour Soup
In the fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. The tofu and egg ribbons will soften slightly on standing, though the flavour holds well.
In the freezer: Not recommended. The tofu and egg both change texture significantly once frozen and thawed, becoming rubbery and watery.
Gordon Ramsay Hot and Sour Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Simmer stock, add mushrooms, cook 5 minutes.
- Add tofu and soy sauce, simmer 5 minutes.
- Stir in cornflour slurry, cook 1–2 minutes until thickened.
- Drizzle in beaten egg while stirring in one direction.
- Off the heat, stir in vinegar and white pepper. Season.
- Stir through sesame oil and spring onions. Serve hot.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions About Gordon Ramsay Hot and Sour Soup
Why is my soup not sour enough?
This usually means the vinegar was added too early and lost its sharpness during simmering, or simply that more is needed. Add extra vinegar gradually at the end, off the heat, tasting as you go.
Can I make this soup vegetarian?
Yes — use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock, and the rest of the recipe is already vegetarian, built around mushrooms and tofu.
Why did my egg turn into clumps instead of ribbons?
This happens when the egg is poured in too quickly or the soup isn’t stirred while it’s added. Pour slowly in a thin stream while stirring continuously in one direction.
Can I add other vegetables?
Yes — sliced bamboo shoots or wood ear mushrooms are traditional additions and work well alongside the shiitake mushrooms already in the recipe.
