As the long, dog days of summer dwindle and cooler temps set in, a piece of me gets excited. Don’t get me wrong, I cherish hot, sunshiny days more than most, but while I’m dipping my toes in the water or soaking up some rays deck-side, part of me longs for my favorite winter staple: soup.
Thick, hearty bowls of stew, creamy cups of chowder and piping hot ladles-full of bisque are a few of my favorite things—but when you’re already overheating from the weather, it’s hard to fill up on something you’re just going to sweat out moments later.
Fortunately, people from hot, humid countries across Asia found a way to remedy this. From Vietnamese pho to Japanese soba, Asian cultures know how to cook up a pot of soup fit for any season. I recently indulged my craving by whipping up a pot of Joanne Chang’s hot and sour soup. The recipe, which is featured in Joanne’s cookbook “Flour 2” and on Food 52’s website, is quick, simple and so full of flavor that you may need to make a second pot.
Below is an adaptation of Joanne’s recipe, amped up with extra sausage, extra spice, a whole lot more broth and my signature ingredient: booze.
I infused this summer-perfect pot with a generous helping of Seattle’s Hale’s Brewery El Jefe Weizen. The Bavarian-style beer with the Spanish name takes this traditional Chinese-style soup (loaded with Italian sausage) around the world. The makings are truly multicultural.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
6 green onions, diced
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
6 cups chicken stock
1 cup Hale’s Brewery El Jefe Weizen
8 ounces (about ½ a block) firm tofu, diced
1 teaspoon sugar
⅔ cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sriracha
Cilantro or green onion for garnish
Directions:
In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm oil and sauté garlic, ginger, green onions and sausage until cooked, about 6 minutes. Add chicken stock and beer to sausage mixture and bring to a boil, about 2 minutes.
Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add tofu, sugar, vinegar, pepper, sesame oil and sriracha. Cover pot and continue cooking at a simmer for at least 20 minutes.
Serve this soup as a standalone or alongside fresh spring rolls, lettuce cups or a fresh salad.
