While I was on vacation I got the chance to eat at a Chinese restaurant and the chicken sweet corn soup on the menu caught my attention. There were just so many things that I wanted to try that I did not end up ordering the sweet corn soup but I figured that I could make it at home. With the end of corn season within sight it was time to try making a sweet corn soup and this weekend I got the chance to. I went with a very simple version of the soup with garlic, ginger, green onions and soy sauce for flavour in addition to the corn and chicken and I could not resist adding a bit of heat in the form of a birds eye chili. One thing that I really like about many Chinese soups is the egg drop which adds a really amazing texture to the soup and makes it a bit more filling. I also added a touch of corn flour to thicken the soup up a bit. (If you prefer an even thicker soup, feel free to add more corn flour.) One thing that I find is quintessential about Asian cuisine is that aroma of toasted sesame oil so I added a few drops to the soup to finish it off. The sweetness of the corn plays really well with the salty soy sauce seasoning in this soup and it was a great way to enjoy some of the last of the fresh locally grown corn!
Chicken and Sweet Corn Soup
ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon oil
- 4 green onions (sliced and divided between whites and greens)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
- 1 birds eye chili (finely chopped, optional)
- 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- 1/2 pound chicken (boneless and skinless)
- 2 cups corn (freshly cut from the cob)
- 1 tablespoon corn flour
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- pepper to taste
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
directions
- Heat the oil in a large pan.
- Add the whites of the green onion, garlic, ginger and chili and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add the stock, chicken, corn, flour, soy sauce and pepper, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.
- Fish out the chicken, shred it with a pair of forks and return it to the soup.
- Pour in the egg in a slow stream while stirring.
- Remove from heat, add the sesame oil and serve garnished with the greens of the green onions.
Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
Sweat Corn Ice Cream
Chicken Noodle Soup
Avgolemono Soup
Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder
Quick and Easy Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
Colombian Chicken and Corn Soup (Ajiaco)
Pozole Verde de Pollo (Green Mexican Hominy and Chicken Soup)
Egg Drop Soup
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
Corn and Zucchini Chowder
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
amy lou says
Looks delicious. I can't wait to try it myself!
The Girlie Blog says
Yes, corn flour or starch works well to thicken the soup. In my dad's restaurant they mix the corn flour with water first and then gently stir it in as the soup is sizzling. I have never mastered this method, but would love to give it a try. Hahaha! Maybe I'll do that when I try this recipe.
Thanks for sharing!
BTW, on your vacation, did you stop by Richmond (near Vancouver) for the Chinese food? Richmond has quite some good Chinese restaurants.
Jenn says
yummy! I can't wait to try this as well. I really enjoy your blog. The recipes are always explained so well and your photos are so beautiful…makes my mouth water. I just launched my blog today and coincidentally my first topic is how to make homemade chicken stock. thismommyloves.com Hopefully some of your readers might enjoy it!
Les rêves d'une boulangère (Brittany) says
I love the inclusion of chilli. I've been thinking about making this soup lately because I wanted something light but yummy for dinner! So thanks 🙂
Nikki (Pennies on a Platter) says
What a great idea! I love the photo with the corn cob in the background, too!
S. says
This looks perfect for autumn. Thanks!
Anonymous says
Oh! This looks amazing! I love fresh corn in anything 🙂
♥peachkins♥ says
I always love a good soup recipe..
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
A wonderful soup! Very pleasant.
Cheers,
Rosa
Joanne says
I've never heard of this being a typical Chinese dish…but it sounds delicious and I love that it uses seasonal veggies.
jelena says
Hi Kevin. I am Jelena, a fellow blogger from Belgrade. What a great blog you have. I have made your avgolemono Greek soup and it is waiting to be posted. Fantastic. This one has been bookmarked. I agree that sesame oil is irreplaceable. Gives it that special kick. Looking forward to your recipes!
Paula says
oh, I love that green top of this delicious soup, Kevin!
All Our Fingers in the Pie says
This is one of my favourite soups and it is so easy to make. Great recipe.
Nina Timm says
I had so much meat this weekend, that this will ring a welcome change!!!
The Urban Baker says
I love, love, love chicken corn soup! today is the perfect day for this soup and I am going to make it. thanks for the inspiration!
Amy says
This soup looks really good! I love chicken and corn together, especially with some heat!
Jane says
mmmmmmm. Good to have you back Kevin! no more vacations for a while please – we need your recipes!8 )
Suzanne aka vivisue says
OMG! This is right up my alley! Soup Season . . . . come on!!!!!
LeAnn says
I'm a little scared of the whole "red pepper" thing. Can you be more specific? about what to use?
We Are Not Martha says
Yum! I had an amazing ear of corn on the cob tonight and it made me super sad that summer is ending. This is the perfect dish to say goodbye 🙂
Sues
CaSaundraLeigh says
I love anything with corn–this sounds so unique, but delicious no doubt!
Alisa says
When I saw the title of this post, I was so not expecting a Chinese-inspired soup. Pleasant surprise!
Eleanor Hoh says
You've reminded this is a great soup to make. Yours looks so appetizing. I am subscribing to your fantastic blog. Truly amazed at all the variety of dishes you've made. Even more amazed you're still on Blogger. You've convinced me to just stay with it. Thanks for sharing your experiments. You cook with great intuition.
Kevin says
LeAnn: I used a birds eye chili but feel free to substitute as desired.
The Girlie Blog: I got to the Richmond night market and had some great food!
Apex Maize says
My all time favorite soup…looks extremely yummylicious…. Good combination and yummy soup. http://www.apexmatch.com/maize.php