Wensi Tofu Soup
A classic dish from Yangzhou, featuring silken tofu cut into hair-thin shreds, with ham and bamboo shoots in a delicate broth.
Ingredients
11 items- Silken tofu 1 block (about 300g)
- Ham 30g
- Winter bamboo shoots 30g
- Dried shiitake mushrooms 2
- Chicken broth 500ml
- Salt 1/2 tsp
- White pepper 1/4 tsp
- Water starch 2 tbsp
- Sesame oil 1 tsp
- Cilantro Some
- Egg white 1
Nutrition
Steps （7 steps）
Slice the tofu into thin sheets, then cut into fine shreds. Soak in water for 5 minutes, then drain.
Shred the ham, bamboo shoots, and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms into thin strips about 5 cm long.
Pour the chicken broth into a pot, add ham, bamboo shoots and mushroom shreds. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and cook for 2 minutes.
Gently place the tofu shreds into the pot. Use the back of a spoon to push them apart without breaking. Cook over medium heat for 1 minute.
Add salt and white pepper to taste. Slowly pour in the water starch while stirring gently until the soup thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
If using, beat the egg white and drizzle it into the hot soup, gently stirring to form egg flowers. Immediately turn off the heat.
Drizzle sesame oil, ladle into bowls, and garnish with cilantro.
Tips
The key is fine knife skills to cut the tofu as thin as possible; avoid stirring vigorously to keep shreds intact; make a thin starch slurry to suspend the shreds in the broth.
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