Kitchen Recipe Collection
Hu La Tang (Spicy Pepper Soup)
A famous breakfast soup from Henan province. Intensely peppery, thick, and packed with beef, wood ear mushrooms, kelp, and chewy wheat gluten.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- hard
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 6 cups beef or lamb broth
- 150g sliced beef
- 1/4 cup wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
- 1/4 cup kelp (kombu), sliced
- 1/2 cup wheat gluten pieces (mianjin)
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp black vinegar
- 1 tbsp white pepper powder (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 3 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with water to thicken)
- Cilantro and sesame oil for garnish
Equipment
- Large pot
- Small bowls for prep
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Beef Broth
Bring the beef or lamb broth to a simmer in a large pot.
- 2
Slice Beef
Thinly slice the beef into small, bite-sized strips.
- 3
Prepare Mushrooms
Soak dried wood ear mushrooms until soft, then slice them into thin strips.
- 4
Prepare Kelp
Wash the kelp and slice it into thin strips.
- 5
Simmer Meat
Add the sliced beef to the boiling broth and skim off any foam.
- 6
Add Ingredients
Add the mushrooms, kelp, wheat gluten pieces, and peanuts to the pot.
- 7
Cook the Soup
Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes until all ingredients are tender.
- 8
Season
Add the dark soy sauce, black vinegar, Sichuan peppercorn powder, and a generous amount of white pepper. It should be distinctly peppery.
- 9
Thicken with Starch
Slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry while stirring the soup continuously until it becomes thick and velvety.
- 10
Final Boil
Let it bubble for 2 more minutes to cook off the raw starch flavor.
- 11
Garnish
Turn off the heat. Drizzle with sesame oil and a touch more black vinegar if desired.
- 12
Serve Hot
Ladle into bowls, top with fresh cilantro, and serve immediately with Youtiao or Shaobing.
Cooking Tips
- The dominant flavor of this soup is white pepper, not chili heat. Do not be shy with the white pepper!
- The wheat gluten acts like a sponge, soaking up the peppery, savory broth.
Variations
- Vegetarian: Use mushroom broth and omit the beef, adding extra tofu skin and mushrooms.
- Add Vermicelli: Some regional variations include sweet potato glass noodles.
Nutrition Estimate
280 calories · 18g protein · 35g carbs · 8g fat · 5g fiber per serving
