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This hot & sour soup is an easy and nourishing dish! It’s paleo, whole30, AIP, and an all around healthy and filling meal.

Easy Paleo Hot & Sour Soup

I’ve shared my families love for Chinese food here on the blog before, and I’m back to share another adapted classic! My brother loved egg rolls (so I made my Egg Roll and a Bowl and Egg Roll Soup) as well as beef and broccoli, and Hot & Sour soup was always my mom’s favorite, so I decided it was time to make an easy, paleo version.

I was an extremely picky eater as a kid, so I don’t think I ever even tried hot & sour soup until I was older, but I remember the intoxicating smell, and how it felt warm in my hands when I was carrying it in from the car during the winter if we were getting takeout. This soup tastes just as good as it smells, and it’s every bit as warming as I remember it.

The thing is that your average hot and sour soup isn’t super nourishing. It’s made with cornstarch, soy, and more that just don’t make it as healthful as it could be. This soup is the opposite! It’s made with easy to source and healthy ingredients that are paleo, gluten free, AIP, and whole30. Sign me up, right?

Hot & sour soup is usually made with tofu or pork tenderloin, but here are some other options that you can substitute…

  • Pork shoulder
  • Ground Pork
  • Shredded chicken
  • Eggs in egg drop form (omit for AIP)
  • … or just keep it vegetarian!

As for the mushrooms, hot & sour soup is traditionally made with fancier mushrooms and veggies than you could typically just find in any store. To keep it easy, we’re just using shitaki mushrooms, but if you want to go traditional on the mushrooms and add some other veggies look for these…

  • Woodear mushrooms
  • Dried lily flowers
  • Bok choy
  • Or if you’re looking for something easier to find, white button mushrooms will work!

Here’s what you need to make this specific version of hot & sour soup…

paleo hot & sour soup

The Ingredients You’ll Need for the Easy Hot & Sour Soup (Paleo, Whole30 & AIP)

Pork tenderloin

See above for substitutions!

Chicken broth

You can use homemade bone broth (even better, actually) but just make sure it’s mildly flavored.

Cabbage

You won’t always find this in hot & sour soup, but it adds more nutrients for not a lot of cost.

Shitaki mushrooms

See above for subsitutions!

Arrowroot starch

This replaces what would traditonally be cornstarch in this dish and thickens the soup. You can likely use tapioca starch.

Garlic & ginger

These add a lot of heat to the soup.

Lime

Gotta have that sour flavor!

Coconut aminos

This is the soy sauce substitute that you can buy at most health food stores and online.

If you like this recipe, you may also like…

easy whole30 hot & sour soup

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Easy Paleo Hot & Sour Soup (Whole30 & AIP)

★★★★★

5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Michelle
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 5-6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This hot & sour soup is an easy and nourishing dish! It’s paleo, whole30, AIP, and an all around healthy and filling meal.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 lb pork tenderloin, sliced into strips (see above for substitutions)
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1-inch ginger, grated
  • 2 cups shitaki mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 small head green cabbage, shredded
  • 1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots (optional)
  • 7–8 cups chicken broth (divided)
  • 3 tbsp coconut aminos
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
  • 1 tsp sea salt (divided)
  • 1 tsp white pepper (omit for AIP)
  • 2–3 tbsp green onion, chopped

Instructions

  1. Using a large stock pot set to medium heat saute the pork until fully cooked. Lightly salt and set aside.
  2. Drain the fat from the pan and add the avocado oil. Saute the garlic and ginger for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
  3. Add the mushrooms and bamboo shoots saute for 4-5 minutes or until tender.
  4. Add the shredded cabbage and cook until mostly wilted for about 2 minutes.
  5. Pour in the chicken broth (reserving 1/4 cup and setting aside), coconut aminos, salt, lime juice and white pepper (if using). Simmer for about 10 minutes to combine the flavors.
  6. While the soup is simmering, combine the 1/4 cup of broth with the arrowroot starch. Whisk together to thicken and add to the soup and stir. Simmer for another 5 minutes to allow the soup to thicken.
  7. Add the pork back and simmer on low for another 3-5 minutes to reheat.
  8. Finish with lime slices if desired and top with green onion. Season further to taste.

Notes

All nutritional information are estimations and will vary. Nutrition facts do not include optional bamboo shoots.

  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Category: Main Dishes
  • Method: Stove Top

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 serving
  • Calories: 178
  • Fat: 4.2g
  • Carbohydrates: 13.4g
  • Fiber: 3.6g
  • Protein: 22.6g

Keywords: hot and sour soup

‘easy whole30 hot & sour soup