Hot and Sour Soup

China's answer to comforting chicken noodle soup, Hot and Sour Soup is rumored to have numerous health benefits - thanks to Chinese dried mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms) and ginger. But that doesn't mean you can't customize the soup based whatever ingredients you have on hand - for example, replacing the dried lily buds with a higher portion of bamboo shoots. This recipe, from a Chinese cooking instructor, uses red rice vinegar, available at Chinese/Asian markets , or you can substitute white rice vinegar or even red wine vinegar if needed.

Vegetarian Hot and Sour Soup - feel free to add in some fried tofu or seitan
Learn more about Chinese rice vinegar

_{Hot and Sour Soup Photo © copyright by Rhonda Parkinson, licensed to About.com, Inc.}