Nothing is more comforting on a chilly island night than a warm bowl of soup. Combine your favorite ethnic flavors and spices along with fresh local ingredients to create your own simple bowl of comfort.

Whether you like it spicy or sour, these soups will add lot of punch to your meals or can be meals in themselves.

>> Tip: Simmering means a small bubble or two should appear on the surface of your soup every second or two. If more bubbles rise, lower heat.

CHINESE HOT AND SOUR SOUP

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 1/2 cup sliced pork tenderloin
• 2 teaspoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
• 1-1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 5 cups water
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium shoyu
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup chopped Chinese parsley
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a medium bowl, combine pork with mirin and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add cornstarch; mix again, until pork is evenly coated. Let sit 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together rice vinegar and white pepper; set aside.

In a pot on medium-high, add water, tomato, mushrooms and tofu; cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; add shoyu and boil, uncovered, 5 minutes.

Slowly add cornstarch and water mixture to soup, stirring well. The soup should be thickened but not too heavy.

Add pork to soup; stir several times so pork strips don’t stick together. Add remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Slowly swirl in beaten egg and stir well. The egg should be scattered, not clotted.

Add vinegar and pepper mixture; stir well and immediately remove from heat. Add Chinese parsley and sesame oil; give a final stir. Serve warm. Serves 5.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 130 calories, 4.5 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 50 mg cholesterol, 750 mg sodium, 15 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 9 g protein.

CLASSIC KIM CHEE JIGAE (KIM CHEE STEW)

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 1/2 pound skinless pork belly, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese rice wine)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup kim chee, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 small shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cubed firm tofu, sliced into medium-sized rectangles
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 stalk small green onion, thinly sliced
• >> Jjigae base:
• 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili flakes); found in Asian markets
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium shoyu
• 1 teaspoon kochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

In a small bowl, combine jjigae base ingredients; set aside.

In a medium bowl, marinate pork belly in mirin and pepper for 15 minutes.

In a small skillet on medium high, saute kim chee until soft.

In a medium pot, place marinated meat on bottom. Add kim chee, onion, mushrooms, tofu, water and jjigae base.

Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Cook about 10 minutes, then gently mix until sauce is well incorporated into the rest of the ingredients. Add green onion. Serve with rice. Serves 3.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 480 calories, 43 g total fat, 15 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 14 g protein.

FILIPINO SINIGANG (TAMARIND SOUP)

By Hawaiian Electric Co.

• 3 pounds pork ribs, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt, to taste
• 16 cups water
• 1 (1.41-ounce) packet sinigang tamarind soup mix (available in the Asian section of supermarkets)
• 1 small tomato, minced (optional)
• 2 small potatoes, cut into large chunks (optional)
• 1 small daikon radish, sliced into thin rounds (optional)
• 1 bok choy, cut into 1- to 2-inch slices

In a medium skillet, saute ribs, garlic, onions and salt until brown.

In a large pot, combine water and sinigang tamarind soup packet.

Add pork and tomato, if using; cook on medium heat about 40 minutes.

Add potatoes, if using, and cook 10 minutes. Add daikon, if using, and bok choy; cook about 10 more minutes. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving (not including salt to taste or optional ingredients): 330 calories, 19 g total fat, 4.5 g saturated fat, 110 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,000 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 3 g sugar, 32 g protein.

More Hawaiian Electric Co. recipes are available at hawaiianelectric.com.