Hot Sour Soup

"It's good for what ails you," I heard my old, Asian grandmother whispering in my ear...

My old grandmother could not have been closer to Asia than the east border of Luxembourg but she may have appreciated the pickling if not the spice in this soup.

Since I rarely use measurements, here's the basic recipe.

Fill a large stock pot with 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and simmer.
Add thinly sliced, fresh garlic and ginger.
Throw in a generous amount of chopped bok choy, some drained bamboo shoots, dried lily blossoms, fresh or canned straw mushrooms, a squeeze of hot sauce, a dab of fermented bean paste, and a couple of glugs of rice vinegar.
Simmer a while longer.
You can add cubed tofu and green onion.  This time I used cooked, rinsed rice noodles.
Fresh cilantro is a nice garnish.

Make enough soup to share with others and deliver it ASAP.
The soup and the delivery of it can cure heartache, stiff joints or a grouchy disposition.

It can stave off respiratory junk and tastes a whole lot better than nyquil.