Tender veggies and squishy, slurpable noodles swim in spicy broth in this deliciously satisfying hot and sour glass noodle soup.

First off, let me just say that this is not a traditional hot and sour soup, at least not as far as I know. If this bowl is in any way authentic, it's purely by accident. It's got plenty of tangy lime juice and spicy chili paste, so it's hot and sour, but probably not the hot and sour you're familiar with. (Still delicious though!) Someone always calls me out on these things, so I figured I might as well put it out there that this dish was just a result of some goofing around in the kitchen with noodles and veggies. If you want something more along the lines of what you may have been served at restaurants, check this out.
Anyway, my goofing turned out really tasty, so I decided to go ahead and share it with you guys.
And while this may not be exactly what you'd get served in a restaurant...er, anywhere (I think), it's noodlerific, which as we discussed before is perfect for celebrating Lunar New Year (happening today).
This recipe is also totally customizable. Want to make a meal of it? Throw in some tofu. Not into the veggies I picked? Use what you like. Too hot? Too sour? Adjust the seasonings to your liking. The really important part is the pairing of super satisfying, squishy glass noodles and the spicy, lime infused broth. Take that concept, go goof around like I did, and enjoy!
Hot & Sour Glass Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 3 oz. dried glass noodles, a.k.a. maifun or mung bean vermicelli
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp. maple syrup or agave
- 1 tbsp. sambal oelek, or to taste
- 1 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 cup sliced shiitake caps
- 1 ½ cups snap peas
- 1 small carrot, julienned
For Serving
- chopped scallions
- fresh cilantro or basil leaves
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
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Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and submerge. Allow to soak according to package directions. Drain into a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
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Coat the bottom of a medium pot with oil and place over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger. Cook about 1 minute. Add broth, lime juice, maple syrup or agave, soy sauce and chili paste. Taste test and adjust seasonings if desired. Raise heat and bring to a simmer. Add mushrooms and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add snap peas and carrots. Simmer just until veggies are tender-crisp, about 2 minutes.
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Divide noodles into bowls and ladle broth and veggies over noodles. Top with scallions, cilantro or basil and sesame seeds. Serve.
Recipe Notes
This recipe serves 4 generously as an accompaniment. You could also add some protein, like pan-fried tofu, and get about 3 meals out of it.
Hmmmmm do you think sriracha could sub for the chili paste in a pinch? Or would it be too sweet? I'm low on cash and I have more or less everything else, but I don't want to end up wasting ingredients haha
I think sriracha would work just fine. :)
i made this soup tonight for dinner and it was delicious!! i had two bowlfuls and cannot wait to eat the rest tomorrow. thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Yay! Thanks so much Tina! I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Am i able to use chicken stock instead of vegetable broth?
I think that would work!
Oh Em Gee!!! This was dead on. Very flavorful. I used julienned broccoli and carrots in a packet from whole foods. I'm going to add bean sprouts and mint for garnish next time. I appreciate this recipe. Hats off to the chef
This soup was very yummy! Perfect on a cold day. I made very few modifications, and it turned out just right.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks Rose!
The first time I made this I was recovering from the flu. It was perfect! I couldn’t get yo the store, so I used shiitake and maitaki mushrooms and baby kale. I have since made it thrice more and will probably make it the same way ad infinitum, it’s so good. Thank you!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and I hope you are feeling better!!
makes me hungry, cant wait to try your recipe, thanks for sharing