*This Hot and Sour Turkey Wing Soup post is sponsored by Turkey Farmers of Canada and ThinkTurkey.ca
It is my absolute pleasure to say that I have once again teamed up with Turkey Farmers of Canada and thinkturkey.ca to create a cool and unique turkey recipe. What did I come up with? How about Soy and Chili Sauce Roasted Turkey Wings in Classic Hot and Sour Soup. What could be better than that?
Why turkey wings?
The reason I chose turkey wings for this is that they are versatile, inexpensive, and big enough that one wing when split can feed two people. The two wings I used (two drums, two flats) was just over $4. You really can’t beat that price.
About the recipe.
In some ways, this is actually two recipes rather than one because the wings are amazing on their own with the soy and chili marinade. But, when added to the soup you won’t believe how good they can be.
The wings are paired with a classic Chinese hot and sour soup. This soup comes from the Sichuan Province in China which is famous for its spicy food. Before the introduction of chilies to China in the 15th or 16th century, all the spiciness came from the Sichuan Peppercorn. This Sichuan Peppercorn is not really hot like chilies or as strong as black pepper. Instead, they warm and numb the mouth which creates this really pleasant feeling. Because most people don’t have Sichuan Peppercorns in their cupboard I used black pepper and Sambal Chili sauce to create the same kind of experience.
Keep in mind that if you aren’t great with spice you can easily reduce the amount of Sambal in the recipe. This soup isn’t supposed to burn your face off with spice. It was originally created as a peasant dish to warm people up in the cold of winter. So, as long as there is enough heat to warm you, it’s perfect.
The Egg
One thing you may find odd about this soup if you have never had hot and sour soup before is the addition of the beaten egg. Admittedly, it makes the soup look kind of weird. But, the eggs add a very important textural and flavour element and the soup just wouldn’t be hot and sour soup without it.
Okay, enough preamble. This is…
Hot and Sour Turkey Wing Soup
Step 1 – Turkey Wings
To make the soup we actually have to first make the turkey wings. Combine 2 tbsp of soy sauce and 2 tsp of Sambal Chili Sauce toss the wings with the sauce and let sit for 20 minutes. While the wings are marinating, pre-heat the oven to 400°f.
Once the oven is hot and the wings have marinated, roast them on a rack set over a roasting pan for 25 minutes.
While the turkey wings are marinating and cooking get all the other ingredients ready to go. That way when the turkey wings are done, the soup can come together very quickly.
Mushrooms
Generally, for hot and sour soup dried shitake mushrooms and dried black fungus are used. I couldn’t find either of those things, and you likely won’t be able to either so why try and use them in the recipe? Instead, I used fresh shitake mushrooms, which are in most big grocery stores.
For the shitakes, I removed and discarded the stems, then thinly sliced them. I marinated these for 20 minutes in a combination of 1 tbsp of soy sauce and 1/2 a cup of warm water. The mushrooms along with the liquid get added into the soup later to help flavour it.
Flavourings
Rather than just haphazardly adding flavourings into the soup, it is common to mix all the flavourings together beforehand. This gives you a bit more control.
Hot and sour soup is typically thickened just slightly with cornstarch or tapioca starch. I used 2 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp warm water. To the cornstarch and water, I added 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup rice vinegar (white vinegar will work), 1 tbsp Sambal Chili sauce, 1/4 tsp each black pepper, kosher salt, and sugar. I mixed this all together and set it aside until it was needed.
Remember to stir this mixture before adding it to the soup. Otherwise, all the cornstarch will be stuck to the bottom of the container and the soup won’t have the right consistency.
Vegetables
The vegetables I used for this soup are 1 small-ish carrot, 1 bunch of green onions, 1 small-ish onion, and 1 baby bok choy. I separated the green onions into whites and greens. The greens, which are softer than the whites will be used for garnishing the soup nearer the end of cooking. The whites will be cooked into the soup like regular onions for flavour.
To prep the vegetables I peeled and sliced the onion, and peeled and cut the carrot into match sticks. Then, I cut the bok choy in half and thinly sliced it. And, I cut the green onion whites into 1 cm pieces.
If you don’t have bok choy don’t worry about. I mostly just used it to add a bit more vegetables and because I had it in my fridge. You can leave it out completely or substitute it for another mildly flavoured green like Nappa Cabbage.
Ginger and Garlic
For the next step, I minced about 2 tbsp of garlic and grated about 2 tbsp of ginger.
Green Onion Tops and Cilantro
Next up are the green onion tops and some cilantro. I sliced all the green onion into thin slices then chopped about 1/4 cup of cilantro. This will be added to the soup at the last minute as a garnish and to add a nice fresh flavour.
Noodles
The second last element of the soup is rice noodles. This isn’t really that traditional but I like to add them because they add a nice texture and they make the soup a bit more filling. I used about 50 g of dried noodles, just about a handful. I soaked them in very hot tap water for 10 minutes and then just roughly chopped them into smaller pieces.
The noodles aren’t fully cooked, but once they get added into the hot soup, they will finish softening very quickly.
Beat the eggs
The final step before actually making the soup is to beat 2 eggs. That’s it. Now, you can leave the eggs out of this, again I know they make the soup look a little odd, but I highly recommend leaving them in. They really make the soup what it is.
Making Hot and Sour Turkey Soup
Okay, everything is ready to go and now it’s time to make the soup!
The first step is to heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Once the pot is hot add in 2 tsp of sesame oil along with the carrot, onion, green onion, and bok choy. Cook this for 2-3 minutes before adding in the ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 more minute.
Mushrooms and Turkey wings
After the ginger and garlic have cooked for about a minute add in the soaked mushrooms along with the liquid. Bring this to a boil, add in the turkey wings and 3 cups of hot water. Bring the soup to a boil
Sauce, and Simmer
Stir the flavouring liquid to redistribute the cornstarch. Then stir it into the soup. Bring the soup back to the boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Noodles and Eggs
Once the soup has simmered for 10 minutes remove the lid from the pot and add in the rice noodles. Let the noodles heat for 2 minutes. Now, gently stir the soup as you pour in the beaten egg. Let the egg cook for about 1 minute then add in the green onion tops and cilantro and gently stir.
Let’s Eat
Just like that the soup is ready to serve.
Conclusion
With fall here and the days getting a bit colder a soup like this is exactly what we all need. I can not suggest strongly enough that you give this soup a try. The Turkey Wings and the Flavourful Soup are a perfect match that you are going to love.
Thank you to Turkey Farmers of Canada and Thinkturkey.ca for sponsoring this post. I would have never come up with this recipe otherwise and I am so happy that I did.
A few months ago I made Chipotle Lime Turkey Tacos which you can and should check out if you haven’t yet. They have become my go-to taco recipe. And for even more great turkey recipes remember to check out ThinkTurkey.ca
Ingredients
Wings
- 2 ea Turkey Wings, Split about 1 lb
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Sambal Chili Sauce
Flavouring Sauce
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Rice Vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Sambal Chili Sauce
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Mushrooms
- 4 ea Shitake Mushrooms
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1/2 cup Warm Water
Vegetables
- 1 sm Carrot, sliced 1/2 cup
- 1 sm Baby Bok Choy, sliced 1/4 cup
- 1 sm Onion, Sliced 1/2 cup
- 1 bunch Green Onions, Whites 1/4 cup
- 2 tbsp Chopped Garlic
- 2 tbsp Grated Ginger
Noodle
- 50 g Dried Rice Noodles
- 1 L Hot Tap Water
Eggs
- 2 lg Eggs, beaten
Garnish
- 1 bunch Green onion top, chopped 1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Turkey Wings
- Combine the Sambal Chili Sauce and the Soy Sauce.
- Toss the wings with the sauce and let marinate for 20 minutes.
- While the wings are marinating heat the oven to 400°f.
- Once the wings have marinated but them on a roasting rack and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
Flavouring Sauce
- Combine the cornstarch and water, mix well.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Set aside until ready to use.
Mushrooms
- Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard.
- Thinly slice the mushrooms.
- Pour the soy sauce and warm water over the mushrooms and let sit for 20 minutes.
Noodles
- Put the noodles in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the water over the noodles and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the noodles.
- Roughly chop into 2-3 inch pieces.
Soup
- Heat a large pot over medium heat.
- Add 2 tsp of sesame oil.
- Add the carrot, bok choy, and onions and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Pour in the mushrooms along with the marinating liquid and cook for 1 more minute.
- Pour 3 cups of stock or water into the pot and place the roasted wings in.
- Bring the pot to a boil, stir the seasoning liquid and pour into the soup pot.
- Bring the pot back to a boil, put a lid on the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the noodles into the pot and simmer for 2 more minutes.
- Pour in the beaten eggs while gently stirring.
- Finish the soup with the green onions and cilantro and serve.
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