Homemade Hot & Sour Soup: The best decongestant ever.→[More:]

Oh man, so good. And so expectorant-y. My nose is finally running in a good way.

Here's what you do.

Soak a handful of shitake mushrooms in 1 cup of hot water for 15 minutes.

Mince 3 or 4 cloves of garlic and a 2" - 3" chunk of ginger. Add the garlic, ginger, and shitake soaking liquid to a pot of stock. (Veg, beef, or chicken -- but chicken probably works best.) Add several tablespoons of soy sauce.

Let this mixture simmer and steep for 45 minutes or so, until the garlic/ginger taste less raw and the flavors have mixed.

Add a few good slugs of white vinegar (don't use anything fancy) and about 2T of white pepper. (I used more, I think.) Do not try to substitute either of these things -- they make it.

Bring to a low boil and adjust seasonings. Might need more hot or sour.

Add the chunky stuff. I used carrots, bok choy, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, shitakes, snow peas, and green onions. Chicken/pork would work well if you're into that sort of thing. Add things according to their cooking times so that they don't get overcooked.

When veggies are done, stir in a slurry of cornstarch and water, boil until viscous.

Slurp it up and feel the sinuses begin to clear. Ahhhhhhhhh....