Warm up this Winter with my easy and tasty Chicken Corn Soup! This soup is packed with tender chicken, sweet corn and egg ribbons. It’s a comforting meal that’s quick and perfect for any day of the week.
This recipe is inspired from the Chinese Chicken Corn Soup but it’s also pretty close to the street-style Pakistani corn soup. I think, it is the best of both worlds. You get the authentic flavour along with the heat of Indo-Chinese food.
This soup holds a special place in my heart as a comforting dish that never fails to satisfy. It is the milder sister of the popular Hot and Sour Soup, which is spicier and more intense.
A staple at many restaurants, I love recreating this silky soup at home. With its tender chicken, sweet corns, egg ribbons and flavourful broth, it is like a warm hug on a chilly day.
This chicken and sweet corn soup is quite similar to the classic Egg Drop Soup, just with added chicken and corn, which makes it all the more hearty.
Table of Content
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This Chicken Corn Soup recipe is simple and takes only 15 minutes.
- This soup is fulfilling and nutritious.
- It’s soothing and perfect for cold Winter days or when you are feeling under the weather.
- You can have it any time of the day as a quick lunch, light starter or a wholesome dinner.
Ingredients & Substitutions
See recipe card for quantities.
- Chicken Stock - Homemade chicken stock will undoubtedly give you the best flavour, but water mixed with stock cubes works too. Depending on the variety of your chicken bouillon cubes, use 2 standard-sized cubes per 1 liter of water. Feel free to toss in more if you think the flavor needs a boost, but watch out for the saltiness.
- Sweet Corn - Blend two-thirds of the sweet corn to make corn paste and mix in the rest of the whole kernels into the soup for some bite and texture.
- Seasoning - For flavouring, add regular (or light) soy sauce, white pepper, and Sriracha (or hot sauce) for some heat. Optionally, you can drizzle some white vinegar and cracked black pepper before serving.
- Sesame Oil - Toasted sesame oil totally elevates the taste with its nuttiness!
- Cornflour (cornstarch) - Make a cornflour slurry by mixing cornflour (cornstarch) with water and use it to thicken the corn soup.
- Eggs - They not only add extra nutrients but also those egg drop flowers that are iconic in an egg drop soup.
- Spring Onion - The white part of the spring onion will add flavour to the soup, and the green part will be used mostly for garnish. You can also use green onion or scallions
- Chicken - Boil and shred one chicken breast for this recipe; you can also use rotisserie chicken. I like to season mine with a pinch of salt and pepper before boiling.
How To Make Chicken Corn Soup
- Cream the corn - Depending on how chunky you like your soup, pulse two-thirds the can of sweet corn and keep the rest whole. If you prefer a creamier soup then just keep a few sweet corn kernels for garnish and blend the rest.
- Simmer the broth - On medium heat prepare the soup base. In a pot, pour the chicken stock and add in white part of spring onion, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, white pepper and shredded chicken. Simmer for 2 minutes before adding in the creamed corn and sweet corn kernels. Bring everything to a boil.
- Thicken the soup - Prepare a cornstarch slurry and gradually add it to the soup to thicken it till you reach your preferred consistency. Cook for a few minutes.
- Whisk in eggs - Pour the eggs in a thin stream all around the pot. Let rest for a minute or two and then give a gentle stir to form beautiful egg ribbons.
- Finish off - Turn off the heat and mix in the green part of spring onion and toasted sesame oil.
- Garnish and serve - Garnish with cracked black pepper, corn kernels, green part of spring onion and some extra drizzle of white vinegar (or soy sauce) if you prefer. Serve hot!
Expert Tips
- Homemade chicken broth made from scratch will give you a richer flavour, so if you have the time definitely go for it.
- Pour the cornflour slurry gradually into this sweet corn chicken soup while stirring to avoid any clumps. Keep checking the consistency and stop adding the slurry once you reach your desired level.
- Let the soup sit for a couple of minutes after adding whisked egg if you want thick egg ribbons, which is how I prefer. Otherwise, gently keep mixing while adding the eggs.
Variations
- For a quick and easy soup fix, use water and chicken stock cubes. To deepen the flavours, use homemade stock.
- Throw in some vegetables like mushrooms, broccoli, carrot, bell pepper, celery and peas.
- Make it vegetarian by swapping with vegetable broth and using tofu instead of chicken.
- Sriracha gives a bit of heat, but if you want it more spice, increase the amount of Sriracha or add some Thai birds eye chilies.
- Add in some ramen or egg noodles to make it similar to Chinese chicken noodle soup and also more filling. See my Asian Noodle Soup for inspiration!
- Play with seasonings like bay leaf, clove or garlic powder.
Serving Ideas
Pair this Pakistani-Chinese Chicken Corn soup with a slice of my garlic bread or Caesar salad for a wholesome meal. Or opt for the classic soup and grilled cheese sandwich pairing!
You can also serve this Chinese soup as an appetizer and add some Chinese dishes like Egg Fried Rice, Kung Pao Chicken, Chicken Manchurian and Chicken Chow Mein to complement it.
Here are some pairing ideas that will work perfectly with this delightful soup for a Chinese buffet:
Storage & Freezing
Store the soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer.
The best way to reheat the soup is on the stovetop. Sometimes the soup thins out after reheating, in that case, add additional cornflour slurry.
One bowl individual servings can also be reheated in the microwave. Keep stirring in intervals to ensure your soup is well heated.
FAQ
Absolutely! Replace the chicken stock with a vegetable one and use tofu instead of chicken.
Yes! I prefer canned because it’s convenient, but fresh corn cobs or frozen sweet corn is also suitable for this recipe.
Video
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 1 liter (4 cups) chicken stock
- 125 g (1 breast) boneless chicken boiled and shredded
- 1 can (285g) sweet corn
- 2 spring onions sliced
- 2 teaspoon regular (or light) soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 4 tablespoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- 2 medium eggs whisked
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Garnish
- cracked black pepper
- white vinegar optional
- spring onion green part only
- sweet corn kernels
Instructions
- Take two-thirds of the corn kernels and pulse till they turn into a chunky paste. Keep one-third of the whole kernels aside for putting into the broth and a few for garnishing.
- In a large pot, pour the chicken stock and start heating it. Also mix in the white part of spring onion, shredded chicken, soy sauce, sriracha sauce and white pepper. Simmer on medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Now stir in the blended corn paste and corn kernels. Bring the broth to a boil.
- Mix in the cornflour with ⅓ cup of water to form a smooth slurry. Gradually pour this cornflour slurry into the soup while stirring it with the other hand. Stop when you have reached your desired consistency. Let simmer for another 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs slowly, circling inside the pot and let sit for 2-3 minutes. Then stir lightly to create egg ribbons. Let the soup simmer on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Throw in the green part of the spring onion, while keeping aside a tablespoon or two for garnish and drizzle toasted sesame oil. Give a quick stir and turn off the heat.
- Pour the soup into serving bowls. Crack some black pepper and add a few drops of white vinegar if you prefer the tang. Garnish with green part of spring onion and corn kernels. Enjoy hot!
Video
Notes
- This soup traditionally uses both creamed corn and corn kernels. But depending on your personal preference you can blend the whole can of sweet corn or do half and half.
- Allow the soup to rest for a few minutes after adding the beaten eggs for thicker egg strands. Otherwise, continue to stir gently while you add the eggs.
- For enhanced flavours, you can use homemade chicken stock. Or make your own by mixing water with chicken stock cubes. Start with 2 standard sized cubes per 1 liter of water.
- You can also use fresh or frozen sweet corn for this recipe.
Chilitochoc lover says
After a long time I checked emails and saw this recipe, instantly went to kitchen and Made it (but without Chicken and springonion, because didnt have at home) ...IT is sooooo easy, quick and yummy! Thank you dear !
Jawad Latef says
Very delicious and tasty