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    Home > Soups

    Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

    Published: Jun 26, 2023 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    Chinese-style chicken and sweetcorn soup is easier to make than you might think.

    Little chunks of chicken are cooked with sweetcorn and stock, plus couple of little flavour enhancers - like white pepper and sesame oil. It's all finished off with that classic fluffy egg, feathered into the broth. Utterly scrumptious and ready in 20 minutes!

    Bowl of chicken and sweetcorn soup with spring onions on top and a black spoon sticking out. There is a further bowl of soup in the top of the shot, and small bowl of spring onions in the bottom of the shot and a cream napkin next to the bowls of soup.
    Jump to:
    • 📋 What do we need?
    • 📺 Watch how to make it
    • 🍽️ What to serve it with
    • 🍲 More fantastic soup recipes
    • Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup
    • 💬 Reviews

    Have you ever made egg drop soup? It's also sometimes called egg flower soup - due to the way the egg feathers and 'flowers' out as it's stirred into the hot liquid.

    This egg drop soup also contains little chunks to chicken - to turn it into that restaurant favourite - chicken & sweetcorn soup.

    It's simple to make, tasty and pretty economical. You can serve it as a starter, or as part of a few Chinese-style dishes for a buffet.

    If I'm serving it for dinner, I also like to serve alongside some fried rice or maybe some sesame prawn toast to make it filling enough for my always-hungry kids.

    📋 What do we need?

    Ingredients for chicken and sweetcorn soup on a wooden board.
    • Chicken breast - we only need one small chicken breast for four servings of this soup - the chicken is chopped into small pieces. You can replace with 2-3 chicken thighs if you prefer.
    • Chicken stock (chicken broth) you can use homemade chicken stock or stock made with stock cubes.
    • Sesame oil - this adds a lovely very slightly nutty flavour and aroma to the soup.
    • Sweetcorn - I use tinned corn kernels and I mush them up a little, so we get some creamy-corn-paste and some whole kernels, but you can replace with creamed corn if you prefer (creamed corn isn't readily available in the UK).
    • Cornflour to make a cornflour slurry (corn starch slurry)- to thicken the soup.
    • Eggs - these are whisked and added to the soup to make those lovely ribbons in the soup.
    • Garlic, salt and white pepper for flavour - I use white pepper to give a tiny touch of warmth to the flavour.

    📺 Watch how to make it

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    👩‍🍳PRO TIP Pour the egg mixture into the broth in a thin stream, whilst stirring the soup - this will ensure you get that lovely fluffy finish to the egg.

    Bowl of chicken and sweetcorn soup with spring onions on top and a black spoon sticking out. There is a further bowl of soup in the background, along with a another black spoon and a cream napkin.

    🍽️ What to serve it with

    Why not serve as part of a Chinese banquet or buffet with some other Chinese-inspired dishes such as:

    • Crispy Prawn Toast
    • Salt and Pepper Chicken
    • Coconut Shrimp
    • Easy Crispy Duck
    • Baked Asian-style Cauliflower 'Wings'

    I love to top with lots of sliced spring onions before serving.

    Close up overhead shot of a white bowl filled with chicken and sweetcorn soup. There are chopped spring onions on top and a black spoon sticking out of the soup.

    🍲 More fantastic soup recipes

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      Seafood Laksa
    • Tom Kha Gai - Thai chicken soup with coconut milk and galangal - in a white bowl on a light background. The soup is garnished with lime slices and coriander.
      Tom Kha Gai
    • Chicken Ramen in a black bowl topped with egg, carrots and spring onions
      Easy Chicken Ramen - ready in 20 mins
    • Bowl of chicken noodle soup with kale and mushrooms
      Chicken Noodle Soup
    • chicken and vegetable soup in a light bowl with bread and spoon on the side
      Piled High Chicken and Vegetable Soup
    • Tuscan Style Chicken Soup - a hearty soup with veggies and beans to warm up your belly!
      Tuscan Style Chicken Soup

    Stay updated with new recipes!
    Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

    Overhead square shot of a white bowl filled with chicken and sweetcorn soup. The soup is topped with spring onions and there is a black spoon sticking out. There are some spring onions also in shot.

    Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Easy Chinese-style chicken and sweetcorn soup, made from scratch, in less than 20 minutes. A quick family favourite!
    5 from 3 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Appetizer, Starter
    Cuisine Chinese
    Servings 4
    Calories 166 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • 2 cloves garlic - peeled and minced
    • 1 litre (4 cups + 3 tbsp) good quality chicken stock
    • 1 small chicken breast - approx. 150g/5.3oz, chopped into small chunks (approx.1cm cubed)
    • 198 g (7oz) tin sweetcorn, drained
    • ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
    • 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch in USA) - mixed with 6 tbsp water
    • 2 medium eggs - whisked
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    To Serve

    • 2 spring onions - scallions chopped

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat.
      1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • Add the garlic and cook gently, whilst stirring, for 1 minute.
      2 cloves garlic
    • Add the chicken stock and diced chicken, turn up the heat and bring to the boil.
      1 litre (4 cups + 3 tbsp) good quality chicken stock, 1 small chicken breast
    • Simmer for 5 minutes
    • Give the sweetcorn a bit of a mush with the end of a rolling pin, so that it’s a bit mushed up, but around half the sweetcorn kernels are still whole.
      198 g (7oz) tin sweetcorn, drained
    • Add the sweetcorn to the pan along with the white pepper and mix together.
      ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
    • Bring back to the boil and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
    • Slow stir in the cornflour slurry to thicken the soup slightly.
      2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
    • Whilst slowly stirring, add the whisked egg in a thin stream. It should feather out in the liquid as it cooks.
      2 medium eggs
    • Have a taste of the soup and add in the salt if needed (it depends on the saltiness of your stock).
      ¼ teaspoon salt
    • Divide between bowls and garnish with chopped spring onions before serving.
      2 spring onions

    Video

    ✎ Notes

    Make ahead 
    This soup can be made ahead. Simply make the soup, then cool, cover and refrigerate for up to three days.
    Reheat in a pan, or microwave, stirring often, until piping hot throughout.
    Make it vegetarian
    Replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock and replace the chicken with tofu pieces or  vegetarian chicken-style chunks. 
    Scaling the recipe up or down.
    You can double or halve the recipe, sticking to the same ingredient ratios.
    If doubling, it will take a few minutes longer cooking time. 
    Halving the recipe will still be the same cooking time.
    Can I use cooked chicken?
    Yes, you can use cooked, leftover shredded chicken. Simply add the chicken in with the sweetcorn (no need to simmer the stock for 5 minutes in the previous step).
    Ingredient additions:
    • Add extra vegetables - peas, mushrooms, sliced mange tout and little pieces of broccoli all taste great - add them in with the sweetcorn.
    • Small chunks of potato or carrots also work well. You can add them with the chicken pieces and stock, but cook for an additional 5 minutes before adding the sweetcorn.
    • Add hot sauce, chilli flakes or minced ginger for a hint of heat.
    • Soy sauce for a bit of extra umami flavour.
    Nutritional information is approximate, per serving (this recipe serves 4).

    Nutrition

    Calories: 166kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 13gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 106mgSodium: 1039mgPotassium: 266mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 212IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 1mg
    Keywords Chinese soup, quick soup
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. jemma pinnington says

      August 23, 2023 at 7:32 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! I love this recipe. Can I freeze it?

      Reply
    2. Patrick Curry says

      August 01, 2023 at 7:53 pm

      5 stars
      Awesome

      Reply
    3. Eleanor says

      July 11, 2023 at 6:49 am

      5 stars
      One of my husbands favourite soups, so I had to make it. It was delicious, I used leftover chicken for the roast we had the previous day...so quick and tasty. We will definitely be having this again, thank you.

      Reply

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    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

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      Nicky Corbishley is the recipe creator and photographer for Kitchen Sanctuary. Wife to Chris (chief techie and videographer) and mum to Lewis and Gracey. Read More…

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