Once you have all of your components ready, this soup comes together quickly. First, soak ½ cup shiitake mushrooms, ¼ cup dried lily buds, and ½ cup dried black mushrooms in warm water for about 30 mins (use separate bowls for each). Drain and set aside. Second, prep your ingredients: julienne 2 oz of pork loin or pork chop (I often increase to 4 oz simply due to the size of the pork loin); cut 6 oz medium or firm tofu in 2×1/4×1/4 inch strips; julienne 5 oz bamboo shoots (we sometimes increase to 8 oz); julienne the rehydrated black mushrooms; chop the rehydrated shiitakes; and tie each of the rehydrated lily buds into a knot (this is to prevent them from falling apart in the soup). Third, using a Dutch oven or large stock pot saute the pork in a little oil on medium-high, then add a splash of soy sauce for color. Fourth, add 2 quarts chicken broth (I use Whole Foods low sodium), 1/3 cup each soy sauce and white vinegar, and 2 tsp ground white pepper. Also add the tofu, bamboo shoots, shiitake and black mushrooms, and lily buds. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat. Separately, combine ¼ cup cornstarch with ½ cup cold water to make a slurry (but see Note below). Pour the cornstarch slurry slowly into the broth, stirring constantly until the soup thickens (about 2 mins). Turn off the heat. Finally, mix 3 eggs in a small bowl (preferably with a spout), then moving in a circular motion around the pot, slowly pour in a thin ribbon of the egg mixture into the soup. You can use the tines of a fork or a pair of chopsticks to control the flow. Gently stir the pot. Garnish with scallions and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, if desired. Serve and enjoy. This recipe is from The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook by Patricia Tanumihardja (Feb. 2015).
Note: In my experience, the cornstarch breaks down too quickly in this soup, causing the soup to be too thin and liquidy. We found potato starch more effective.
Note 2: To make this a full meal, you can increase the amount of pork to 8 oz and tofu to 15 oz.
Cooking Adventures 