Quick Chicken and Corn Soup

Hearty chicken and corn soup, made from scratch and on the table in 15 minutes. This easy egg drop soup is loaded with shredded chicken, fresh + creamed corn and ginger. It is healthy, filling and bursting with flavour. Dinner doesn’t get more comforting than this!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick and easy – one pot and a handful of familiar ingredients. This recipe makes the most of leftover cooked chicken and canned corn to save time.
• Freezer-friendly – make a big batch and keep it in the freezer for when you feel under the weather or need a bowl of warming soup, stat!
• Versatile – using leftover cooked chicken like this air fryer roast chicken makes it super convenient, or you can add raw chicken if this is what you have on hand. You can also use fresh, frozen or canned corn. And you can have a fridge clean out and pack it with extra veggies for even more goodness!
• So comforting – warming, cosy and delicious. It tastes just like the soup you order from a restaurant.
• It makes a perfect starter, light lunch or dinner.

Ingredients you will need

** This post contains tips and instructions to achieve the best possible results. The photo above is a great guide for when you are in the supermarket, but for full ingredient quantities and methods, please scroll down to the detailed recipe card below!

• Chicken – leftover roast chicken or a shredded rotisserie chicken can be used to save time, or you can brown some raw chicken pieces (breast, thigh or even chicken mince) to finish cooking in the soup. I’ve included instructions for both below.

• Creamed corn – made from corn kernels, water, salt and a thickener, creamed corn is usually made by cooking the kernels until soft and then roughly blending them. Although it has a creamy texture, most canned, store-bought creamed corn does not actually contain any cream. It adds thickness and texture to the soup, as well as corn flavour. In Australia, it can be found in supermarkets in the canned vegetables section. You will need one 400 gram can.

• Corn kernels – this soup is made with both creamed corn and loose corn kernels. The little kernels add bursts of flavour and texture to the soup. You can use fresh, frozen or canned corn.

• Egg whites – beaten egg whites are dropped into the broth at the end, to both thicken and flavour the soup. Dropping the eggs into the hot soup creates the signature white “ribbons” that chicken and corn soup is known for. If you don’t want to waste the yolks, you could add 2 whole eggs instead of 3 egg whites.

• Spring onion – to garnish. You can also add fresh coriander/cilantro to garnish.

• Ginger – to flavour the broth. Use freshly grated ginger for best results, or use a jar of minced ginger and adjust the amount to taste.

• Shaoxing – also called Chinese cooking wine, Shaoxing is used to add depth and flavour complexity to the broth. It can be found in supermarkets and Asian grocers. Or, substitute for mirin instead.

• Chicken stock – use liquid chicken stock rather than powdered, for best results. I use store-bought stock for convenience, or you can make your own.

• Light soy sauce – to season the broth. Add more or less, to taste. A little extra can also be added when serving, to taste. Use light soy, rather than dark soy sauce which is stronger in flavour.

• Cornflour – also called corn starch, cornflour is used to thicken the broth. If you need it to be gluten free, ensure you use regular cornflour (not wheaten cornflour) and check the packet to make sure that it is gluten free, or swap for arrowroot flour.

• Sesame oil – is used to season the soup at the end. Use it sparingly, or its intense flavour can overpower the broth.

Step by step instructions

**Full ingredient list and detailed step-by-step instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

If using leftover, already cooked chicken:

Step 1 – Make the broth;

Add the chicken stock, creamed corn, corn kernels, Chinese wine, ginger, soy sauce and cornflour/water mixture to a large pot and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 5 minutes, until the soup has thickened slightly.

Step 2 – Add the egg;

Turn off the heat.

Swirling the soup continually with a whisk or spoon, very slowly add the beaten egg whites, so that it cooks in thin “ribbons” throughout the soup.  

Step 3 – Add the chicken;

Add the shredded chicken and stir. Taste the soup, adjust the seasonings if needed and garnish: salt, pepper, sesame oil and spring onions.

If using raw chicken:

Before adding the soup ingredients to the pot, brown the chopped chicken pieces in a little oil. Sear the outside, but don’t worry if it’s not cooked all the way through, as it will continue to cook in the broth, provided the pieces are small enough.

Then continue to add the broth ingredients and make the soup as described above.

Expert tips

• Add extra vegetables: you can add grated carrot, leafy greens like bok choy, broccolini, shredded cabbage or green beans to increase the veggie content.
• To make a vegetarian version, swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock and omit the chicken.
• Add some noodles if you want to bulk it out for an even more filling meal. Use ramen noodles (discard the flavour packet), egg noodles or some small pasta that will cook in the broth.
• Season: when the soup is done, taste it and season with some salt and/or white pepper, if needed. You can also add a few drops of sesame oil or light soy sauce when serving.
• Storage: this soup will last 3-4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop until steaming hot all the way through.
• When adding the cornflour, make sure it is completely dissolved in a little water first or it can leave lumps.
• If using raw chicken, make sure that the chicken pieces are chopped small enough that they will cook through in the soup. Chicken mince or pre-chopped chicken is a great option, to save cutting.
• If the soup is a little thicker than you would like, add a little more stock to thin it out and adjust the seasonings.

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Update Notes: This recipe was originally published in July 2019, but was re-published with new information, helpful tips and photos in August 2022.