Pork soup with mushrooms and tofu

The exact ingredients of this soup can be adjusted depending on what is on hand. This should produce two large servings for a complete meal.

One carton Chicken Stock (about a quart).

Use low sodium stock, as the soy sauce adds salt, and extra salt can be added later if needed. Vegetable or mushroom stock should work as well, if preparing this dish without meat.

Lemongrass, chopped

Place in tea strainer or otherwise ensure final soup does not contain the lemongrass, which can be very hard to chew.

2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

Use salt and sugar free versions of this if possible.

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
Fresh grated ginger root
Fresh ground white pepper

For more heat, add hot peppers or perhaps mustard?

Green Onion, cut on diagonal
2 Shiitake, sliced long

These might be sauted first, in a small amount of grape seed oil, with some salt and pepper, until the water in the shiitake boils off.

Handful Wood Hen Mushroom, sliced long

Other mushrooms can be used, depending on what is available.

Handful tofu, cubed
1 cup peas, carots, bamboo shoots, other vegetables

Daikon did not work for me in this soup, despite my otherwise liking daikon. Bell pepper was quite strong in comparison to other ingredients.

1 tablespoon Cornstarch
1 egg, beaten lightly and mixed in while stirring— tricky to mix in without clumps!
⅓ pound Pork tenderloin, cut in half then chopped thin

The stock can be brought up to a low boil with most ingredients being thrown in as they are prepared, roughly in the order outlined above. If thickening the soup with cornstarch, mix the cornstarch with water first, then slowly add to the soup while stirring. Thin chopped meat will cook quickly, so add it in last, and remove the soup from heat when the meat is cooked.