Quick Chicken and Corn Soup

a bowl of soup topped with shredded chicken, pieces of corn and spring onions.

5 from 6 votes

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!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Calories: 365kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

4 cups liquid chicken stock
1 can creamed corn 400 grams
1 ½ cups corn kernels fresh, frozen or canned
1 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
2 tablespoons light soy sauce or adjust, to taste
1 tablespoon Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine, or substitute for mirin
2 teaspoons cornflour corn starch
3 egg whites lightly beaten
2-3 cups shredded cooked chicken or use raw chicken breast, thigh or mince (see instructions below)
½ - 1 teaspoon sesame oil or adjust, to taste
salt and white pepper to taste
3 spring onions shredded

Instructions

If using shredded cooked chicken

Mix the cornflour with ¼ cup water or extra stock.
In a large soup pot, add the chicken stock, creamed corn, corn kernels, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing and cornflour/water mixture and stir to combine.
Bring the soup to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the soup thickens slightly.
Turn off the heat. While stirring the soup, slowly pour a thin stream of the egg whites into the hot soup. The egg will cook in "ribbons" throughout the soup.
Add the cooked, shredded chicken and stir.
Taste the soup and season with salt and a little white pepper or additional soy sauce, if needed. Add the sesame oil and serve hot with shredded spring onions.

If using raw chicken

Before adding the soup ingredients to the pot, brown the chicken 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.
Once the chicken has browned, add the chicken stock, creamed corn, corn kernels, ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing and cornflour/water mixture and stir to combine.
Bring the soup to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, until the soup thickens slightly and the chicken has cooked through.
Turn off the heat. While stirring the soup, slowly pour a thin stream of the egg whites into the hot soup. The egg will cook in "ribbons" throughout the soup.
Taste the soup and season with salt and a little white pepper or additional soy sauce, if needed. Add the sesame oil and serve hot with shredded spring onions.

Notes

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.
Freezing; Let the soup cool completely and then freeze in freezer-safe airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or the stovetop until steaming hot all the way through.
Reheating; This soup can be safely reheated in the microwave or over the stovetop whole or in individual serves. Just make sure it returns to the boil and is steaming hot all the way through.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the soup being divided into 4 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the soup.
This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition