Chinese Corn Soup with Chicken Recipe
Delicate corn soup with chicken is a popular dish in Chinese restaurants, especially in its Cantonese version. It’s thick, creamy (even though there’s no cream) and very mild – perfect for a chilly day or when someone at home has a cold. You can compare it to Polish chicken broth with added corn and egg, but with a more silky texture.
This is one of the most common soups in Cantonese eateries and on family tables, often served to people who are ill or to children as something mild and comforting. In China it’s made both with fresh corn and canned corn, depending on the season.
This soup combines the comforting familiarity of chicken broth with the sweetness of corn and the silky texture of classic Chinese egg drop soup. It’s simple to make, very gentle on the stomach, and perfect for both everyday meals and for anyone feeling under the weather.
Why this version works
- Gentle cooking just below a boil keeps the broth clear and the chicken juicy.
- Adding the starch only after the meat is cooked makes it easy to adjust the thickness without a floury taste.
- Pouring the egg into a gently swirling soup creates long, soft ribbons instead of clumps.
- Using canned corn shortens the prep time, and blending part of the kernels thickens the soup without extra starch.
Chef's tips
Cut the chicken as finely as you can – the smaller the pieces, the more delicate the soup will feel. Don’t skip mixing the starch with cold water first; adding dry starch directly to the hot soup will create lumps. When adding the egg, keep the stream very thin and the stirring gentle to get nice, fine ribbons instead of big clumps.
How to serve
Serve the soup very hot, sprinkled generously with spring onion. It pairs well with steamed rice, bao buns, or simple dumplings. For a more filling meal, add a side of stir-fried vegetables or a light salad with Asian-style dressing.
Watch out for
- Don’t let the soup come to a hard boil after adding the starch, or it will turn dull and heavy.
- Starch that isn’t mixed with cold water first will form lumps that are hard to get rid of by stirring.
- Stirring too vigorously while pouring in the egg will tear the ribbons into tiny pieces.
Substitutions
- You can swap the chicken stock for a light vegetable stock and omit the chicken for a vegetarian version.
- Fresh ginger can be replaced with frozen sliced ginger, using a similar amount.
- You can replace potato starch with corn starch in the same amount; the result will be very similar.
Ingredients
- chicken breast boneless, skinless - 200 g
- canned corn drained weight; you can use frozen corn - 300 g
- chicken stock can be made with stock cubes - 1 l
- eggs - 2 piece
- potato or corn starch mixed with 3 tablespoons of cold water - 2 tablespoons
- soy sauce - 1 tablespoon
- fresh ginger piece about 1 cm, cut into thin slices - 5 g
- spring onion for sprinkling - 2 piece
- sesame oil optional, for aroma - 0.5 teaspoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Cut the chicken into very small cubes or thin strips, roughly the size of the corn kernels. Slice the spring onion into thin rounds, keeping the white and green parts separate. Drain the corn thoroughly until it stops dripping.
- In a pot, bring the stock to a simmer with the thin slices of fresh ginger. When the first bubbles and steam appear, lower the heat, add the chicken and gently separate the pieces with a spoon so they don’t stick together.
- Cook the chicken over low heat for 8–10 minutes, without a vigorous boil, until the pieces are completely white in the centre and tender when cut. Skim off any foam from the surface so the broth stays clear and golden.
- Add the drained corn and light soy sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes over low heat, until the soup takes on a sweet–soy aroma and the kernels are hot, soft, yet still slightly firm to the bite.
- Remove the ginger slices if you don’t want to serve them. Mix the starch thoroughly with 3–4 tablespoons of cold water to a smooth, pourable slurry with no lumps, then pour it into the soup in a thin stream, stirring all the time.
- Cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the soup clearly thickens and starts to coat the spoon in a thin layer while still remaining pourable. If it’s too thin, add a little more starch mixed with water; if too thick, add a splash of stock or water.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest setting so the soup only moves gently around the edges of the pot, without large bubbles. Beat the eggs in a small bowl into a uniform mixture with no streaks of white, until the surface is slightly foamy.
- With one hand, pour the eggs into the soup in a thin, steady stream, while with the other hand stirring gently in circular motions. After 20–30 seconds the egg ribbons should be pale, soft, visible in long strands and fully set.
- Season the soup to taste with salt and white or black pepper. Finish with a few drops of sesame oil, ladle into bowls, sprinkle with the green part of the spring onion and serve hot, while it’s gently steaming and fragrant with ginger.
Storage
No storage information available for this dish.
This version of Chinese corn soup is inspired by the mild, comforting soups often served at the beginning of meals in Cantonese restaurants. I love how quickly it comes together and how easily it can be adapted for children or people with sensitive stomachs – it’s one of those dishes that feels like a warm hug in a bowl.
