As fall and winter sets in, this Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup really hits the spot on a cold day. Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup is a Cantonese favorite, especially among Hong Kong-ers and, no wonder, as it's a really souped up (pun intended) version of our beloved egg drop soup with an added protein boost from chopped chicken and a touch of sweetness with the addition of corn.
We interrupt our regularly schedule programming for a note from Kaitlin: Bill (our dad) is allotted a quota of published dad jokes per month. That was one of them. We apologize in advance for any distress caused.
Which variety of corn you use for this soup is a personal preference and depends on what you can find at your local markets. Sweet young corn is my preference, but the season always seems to be early and short, hence, we usually use regular yellow corn, which is less sweet but has the body and depth of flavor for making a really flavorful soup. Fresh corn is still readily available during the fall season and if not, frozen corn is a convenient and always-available alternative.
Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup is usually available on most Chinese restaurant menus if you look for it, and is a welcome change over the usual wonton, hot and sour, and egg drop soup standard trio of favorites. Kick off the start of cold weather days with this one, folks!
You'll need:
Marinate the chicken with 1 tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon oyster sauce. Mix until the liquid is absorbed into the chicken. Set aside.
Finely mince ½ cup of the corn kernels and set aside. Add the chicken stock, minced and whole corn kernels, and turmeric powder to a pot and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Next, add the sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Turn up the heat slightly.
Add the chicken to the soup, and use a spoon or ladle to break up any clumps of chicken while stirring for one minute.
Re-mix the cornstarch and chicken stock slurry until incorporated (since the cornstarch and water will separate when left to sit for more than a few minutes).
Use a spoon or a whisk to stir the soup while slowly pouring in the cornstarch slurry. The soup will begin to thicken further as the cornstarch cooks. Keep stirring for another 30 seconds. If the soup is too thick, add more stock, and if it's too thin, add more cornstarch slurry until the soup is at your preferred consistency.
Next, use a large spoon or ladle to gently stir the soup in one direction, while slowly pouring the beaten egg whites into the soup. Stirring slowly in a large slow circular motion will yield large "ribbons" of egg and stirring faster will result in a finer "egg flower."
Again, use your own discretion on how you personally like the texture of the egg!
Stir in half of the scallions, and add the rest as a garnish for serving. If you're looking for a bit more flavor, you can also drizzle a bit of sesame oil over the top and sprinkle some chopped cilantro and fresh ground black pepper over each bowl.
Enjoy!
Chicken Corn Egg Drop Soup
Prep time
5 mins
Cook time
20 mins
Total time
25 mins
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 4 ounces chicken breast, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1½ cups fresh or frozen sweet corn
- 5 cups organic or homemade chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 pinch white pepper
- Cornstarch slurry: ¼ cup cornstarch combined with ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 egg whites, lightly beaten (you can also include the yolks if you want)
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with 1 tablespoon of water, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon oyster sauce. Mix until the liquid is absorbed into the chicken. Set aside.
- Finely mince ½ cup of the corn kernels and set aside. Add the chicken stock, minced and whole corn kernels, and turmeric powder to a pot and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Next, add the sesame oil, salt, and white pepper. Turn up the heat slightly. Add the chicken to the soup, and use a spoon to break up any clumps of chicken while stirring for one minute.
- Re-mix the cornstarch and chicken stock slurry until incorporated (since the cornstarch and water will separate when left to sit for more than a few minutes). Use a spoon or a whisk to stir the soup while slowly pouring in the cornstarch slurry. The soup will begin to thicken further as the cornstarch cooks. Keep stirring for another 30 seconds. If the soup is too thick, add more stock, and if it's too thin, add more cornstarch slurry until the soup is at your preferred consistency.
- Next, use a large spoon or ladle to gently stir the soup in one direction, while slowly pouring the beaten egg whites into the soup. Stirring slowly in a large slow circular motion will yield large "ribbons" of egg and stirring faster will result in a finer "egg flower." Again, use your own discretion on how you personally like the texture of the egg!
- Stir in half of the scallions, and add the rest as a garnish for serving. If you're looking for a bit more flavor, you can also drizzle a bit of sesame oil over the top and sprinkle some chopped cilantro and fresh ground black pepper over each bowl.
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