Hot and sour soups often have dried lily buds in them.

I've never had H&S with chinese okra, but it's possible some use it. Certainly the description is like what you describe.

Here is a link that might be useful: chinese okra

I think I ruled out lily buds because this veg is green. I would assume the buds are pale-ish in color.

I'm having trouble with this one. Maybe you can ask your restaurant about it? They should be happy to tell you.

What is the texture? Pretty soft (melt in your mouth) or crunchy?

Light green or dark green?

This is puzzling. Anything here strike a bell?

Here is a link that might be useful: oriental veggies

It's a fairly dark green(like a grn pepper)and not really crunchy, but not mushy. I will try to ask them, but can be a sort of language barrier. Since they know me by the guy who orders h&s soup, they may not want to give away their secret;) When I find out, I'll post. Thanks everyone.

the only thing I can think of that I've had in hot and sour soup and that remotely resembles your description is wood ear mushrooms, but they're not green. they're dark brown. I don't remember having anything green (aside from green onions) in my soup. the other idea I had was seaweed, but I don't think I've ever had seaweed in hot & sour soup.

Good luck finding it out! I'm curious to hear what it is.

J Brenan emailed me direct w/ his/her thought: bitter melon. Off to research this...

Darn, another seed I'll have to come up with:)

Zeng, wood ears are also in it, but that is not it. The wood ears have more of a snap crunch than this. If it is bitter melon, is just the outer portion used 1/4 - 3/8 inch thick? Is there a center pulp that is commonly used, or is it hollow w/seeds and membrane?
Does anyone know how long to harvest on bitter melon- may have some trouble there.
Again, thanks everyone!

I don't believe it's bitter melon, which is not usually an ingredient in s&s soup.

I got an idea while looking through earlier posts. It could very well be preserved vegetable (either kohrabi or chinese (oriental) mustard is used for preserved vegetable. Both are a dull green colour, and likely conforms texturewise to what you had. Preserved vegetables are often julienned or diced and added to a variety of soups and main dishes to add subtle flavour. Not many prople realize it is often an ingredient in many Chinese broths and soups. It makes sense, also, as this is a Szechuan product and so lines up with the s&s soup.

It is most likely what naturelle said, the preserved veggie. it comes in a can and can be a little spicy. Usually it's crunchy, but I've had it mushy too. So I'm guessing that it can come in any of the texture.

Here is a recipe most like what we make at home.....i have had H & S Soup so many places and never had an ingredient that you have spoken of in it!! It is such a wonderful winter soup - just can't lose even w/o the mystery ingredient!!
Toni

HOT 'N SOUR SOUP

4 Dried Chinese mushrooms, -1 to 1 1/2 in dia ( or canned straw mushrooms
2 Squares, 3 inches each,fresh Chinese bean curd, about -1/2 inch thick (tofu)
1/2 c Canned bamboo shoots
1/4 lb Boneless pork
1 qt Chicken stock, fresh or canned
1 t Salt
1 Scallion, including the green top, finely chopped
1 tb Soy sauce
1/4 ts Ground white pepper
2 tb White vinegar
2 tb Cornstarch* mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water
1 Egg, lightly beaten
2 ts Sesame seed oil

* if soup is not thick enough, add 2 more spoons of
cornstarch (mixed into cold water) into the soup

PREPARE AHEAD:

1. In a small bowl, cover the mushrooms with 1/2 cup
   of warm water and let them soak for 30 minutes.
   Discard the water. With a cleaver or knife, cut away
   and discard the tough stems of the mushrooms, and
   shred the caps by placing one at a time on a chopping
   board. Cut them horizontally into paper-thin slices,
   and then into thin strips. 2. Drain the pieces of
   bamboo shoots and bean curd, and rinse them in cold
   water. Shred them as fine as the mushrooms. 3. With
   a cleaver or sharp knife, trim the pork of all fat.
   Then shred it, too, by slicing the meat as thin as
   possible and cutting the slices into narrow strips
   about 1-1/2 to 2 inches long. 4. Have the above
   ingredients, stock, salt, soy sauce, pepper, vinegar,
   cornstarch mixture, egg, sesame seed oil and scallions
   within easy reach. TO COOK: Combine in a heavy
   3-quart saucepan the stock, salt, soy sauce,
   mushrooms, bamboo shoots and pork. Bring to a boil
   over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to
   low, cover the pan and simmer for 3 minutes. Drop in
   the bean curd and the pepper and the vinegar. Bring to
   a boil again. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir to
   recombine it and pour it into the soup. Stir for a
   few seconds until the soup thickens, then slowly pour
   in the beaten egg, stirring gently all the while.
   Remove the soup from the heat and ladle it into a
   tureen or serving bowl. Stir in the sesame seed oil
   and sprinkle the top with scallions. Serve at once.

I'm not sure about this but just did a search on google and found out that in some recipe they use something called Ku Cai (¿à ²Ã). Unfortunately I don't know the English translation for that. In fact, in Chinese, it's name means "Bitter vegetable". the link bellow provides a picture for it. The website might be slow so be patient.

http://www.lsxc.com.cn/2005/3-17/101421.htm

My vote is for the "preserved vegetable" as well. This can run the gamut from preserved/pickled kohlrabi to radish, to cabbages, etc. I have several different jars of the stuff in my pantry, & they all look different - lol!! You might want to contact the Kitazawa Seed Company (link below) & ask them. I've had a few questions re: some Asian veggies (I am also heavily into Asian food & grow a number of the veggies as well) & they always returned my e-mails promptly & politely. They are a specialty Asian vegetable seed company. (Order their catalog - lots of useful info.)

And you may also be pleasantly surprised at your restaurant's willingness to tell you what the ingredient is, especially if you tell them you really like it (NOT that you want to know because you want to grow it yourself & make your own soup - LOL!!!)

For my Hot & Sour Soup I simply combine:

Shitake mushrooms - fresh or rehydrated dried, sliced
Dried Wood Ears - rehydrated, sliced if large
Dried Lily Buds - rehydrated & tied into single knots
Extra Firm Bean Curd - cubed
Chicken stock - brought to a low boil
Boneless, skinless chicken breast - cut into julienne strips
One or 2 beaten eggs
Fresh scallions, chopped
White vinegar to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

If I have it on hand I will also add some chopped or julienned bok choy.

I keep bowls of this in the fridge for a quick lunch or supper - yum!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitazawa Seed Company

Oh, & you're right. The Dried Lily Buds aren't green at all - are always a goldish-tan-brown.

If you had the soup at a Vietnamese restaurant, I would guess that you had just plain old sliced up okra in the soup. Cross cutting the okra will give you a "star" like shape with round seeds. That's the same okra found in the Cajun delicacy, gumbo. Hibiscus esculentus. The soup usually is made with some type of seafood (fish or shrimp)in a tamarind base and various veggies such as taro stem (looks like green spongy stuff), pineapple, tomato, rice paddy herb (ngo om), bean sprouts, and okra. If you go back to that restaurant, ask them if it is dau bap. :)

Rhus_toxi,

Which restaurant and what city? Maybe I can go check it out.

;)

I know exactly what vegetable you are wondering about - as a lover of H&S soup I've noticed this ingredient being included more often and it is delicious in the H&S soup. I had the same issue getting it translated at various restaurants - but after an extensive search I'm pretty sure I found it:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zha_cai

Pickled Mustard Root or Zha Cai

This site also says it is essential for H&S soup: http://makantime.com/ingredientguide/zhacai.htm

Try it!