That sucks.

and you can't salvage any of it because the high water content in the veggies has carried the charred taste through all of it.

I feel your pain. Having the stuff on the bottom of the soup pot burn sucks it hard.

I just pick out the charred chunks.

but I sure as hell can't say I enjoyed it.

Protip - if you have a scorched soup or sauce, try giving it a good dose of salt. Nobody's quite sure why but it can greatly reduce a burnt flavor. See The Fat Duck Cookbook for more information.

but still works for hot and sour soup

Acid and salt both work on the same chemical pathways in your taste buds (fun fact, you can balance out an excessively salted dish with some lemon juice) so you're doing the perfect thing with it!