Comforting Chicken Corn Soup
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This is the comforting feel-better soup of my childhood! Chicken corn soup is made with good quality chicken stock, shredded chicken, creamed and corn kernels. It’s a cross between chicken noodle (minus the noodle, add the corn) and egg drop soup and it is so so good!
The soup of my childhood.
This is the get-better soup that my mom made for me, pretty much up until the time I was 25, whenever I wanted something warm and comforting or was feeling under the weather. Over the years, I finally decided to learn how to make it for myself. It’s incredibly easy to make and uses mostly pantry staples, so you can see why it’s a great soup to make when you’re feeling under the weather and can’t exactly make it to the store.
My moms chicken corn soup is like chicken noodle soup, minus the noodles and the other veggies, add the corn and mash it together with a traditional egg drop soup that we’ve pretty much all ordered at one time or another at our favorite Chinese restaurant.
When I’ve got a sore throat, all I want is something warm and cozy, that doesn’t require much chewing and something that soothes the throat. This chicken corn soup hits all the marks. And at some point in my late teens, I started adding a scoop of cooked rice to my soup bowl, and I have to be honest, I’m still eating it this way, almost two decades later.
Besides being a hearty bowl of soup, it takes roughly 20 minutes to make from start to finish if you’ve got cooked shredded chicken in the freezer or use leftover rotisserie chicken.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE CHICKEN CORN SOUP?
- chicken stock
- creamed corn
- corn kernels
- soy sauce
- vinegar
- sugar
- black pepper
- sesame oil
- chicken
- cornstarch:
- eggs:
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE CREAMED CORN?
I have to be honest; I seldom have creamed corn at home either.
Here’s a quick tip: just run a can of sweet corn kernels in your food processor on the pulse setting and voila! Creamed corn!
DO YOU MAKE YOUR STOCK FOR CHICKEN CORN SOUP?
You absolutely do not have to make your chicken stock for my chicken corn soup recipe. However, I do advise using a good quality chicken stock that has a lot of flavor. Since we’re not flavoring this soup with a whole lot, it’s essential to use quality stock.
Don’t skimp on this one!
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN STOCK:
Over the years I’ve gotten into the habit of saving random parts of chicken (a couple of wings, a few backbones from my spatchcock chicken recipe testing, a drumstick or two) and eventually when I have enough, I throw them onto a sheet pan and roast the chicken with a glug of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then into a stockpot, they go with all the wilting, sad veggies (carrots, celery, onions, a whole head of garlic) that need to be cleared before I make a trip to the grocery store and spices (black peppercorns, and bay leaves.) Once it simmers for a couple of hours, I strain my chicken stock, pop it into one-quart containers and freeze them. That way I’ve got homemade chicken stock ready to go for when I need it.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CORN SOUP?
- Heat is all up: start with stock. Add it to a large stockpot along with the creamed corn, corn kernels, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and white pepper and let it all come to a simmer.
- Cornstarch slurry: while your soup is heating up you want to shred the chicken and prepare the cornstarch slurry. Once heated, add the chicken. I’ve made this soup so many times, but the one thing that always changes is the amount of cornstarch! Sometimes this works with five tablespoons and other times I need as much as seven. I suggest either mixing all of the cornstarch, to begin with, and adding it until it’s thickened enough to your liking or starting with five tablespoons and adding more as desired. Make sure to pour the slurry in slowly as you stir the soup!
- Egg drop time: I’m lazy, so I save my cornstarch bowl and whisk the eggs in it too. Now, there’s a trick to adding in the eggs. Once whisked, I like to add the eggs in a steady stream while stirring the pot with a spoon. It helps if you raise the bowl about the same height as your head, this allows it to fall in the broth is a stream steady enough for you to stir and turn the egg into ribbons.
- Finish: taste the soup, adjust with additional salt as desired and add the toasted sesame oil. I like to garnish it with green onions and serve the soup in a bowl with a ladleful of rice!
HOW CAN I SPICE UP YOUR CHICKEN CORN SOUP?
A squeeze of sriracha amps up and brings the heat in a pinch!
Or if you’ve got time, I suggest mincing a serrano pepper and adding it to 1/4 cup of white vinegar. Allow for it to sit for roughly 1 hour and add a teaspoon or so to your bowl! So good that way!
CAN YOU TELL ME HOW I CAN MAKE CHICKEN CORN SOUP VEGETARIAN-FRIENDLY?
Sure, I would suggest swapping the chicken stock or good quality vegetable stock. And swapping the chicken for sautéed sliced mushrooms. You want to do this beforehand and not add the mushrooms into the soup raw, and they’ll release a ton of water, thus diluting the soup flavor. I would saute them in a skillet with a little butter and salt and pepper. You could even use sautéed zucchini with the corn; it would go really well!
And that’s it! It’s easy enough to put together if someone you know is sick. It’s warm, and cozy and chicken corn soup is sure to kick that cold right out!
Comforting Chicken Corn Soup
This is the comforting feel-better soup of my childhood! Chicken corn soup is made with good quality chicken stock, shredded chicken, creamed and corn kernels. It's a cross between chicken noodle (minus the noodle, add the corn) and egg drop soup and it is so so good!
Ingredients
- 7 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 (15-ounce) can creamed corn (see notes)
- 1 cup defrosted corn kernels
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon EACH: white pepper AND toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ cups cooked chicken, shredded
- 5-7 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 large eggs
- chopped scallions + cooked rice (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- SOUP: Add the chicken stock, creamed corn, corn kernels, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and white pepper to a large stockpot over medium-high heat and allow for it to come to a simmer.
- THICKEN: Once it simmers, add the chicken and stir. Place the cornstarch in a bowl along with enough water to form a slurry (normally about the same amount of water as cornstarch.) When the soup reaches a boil, lower the heat a little, and slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry as you stir. Once combined, lower the heat to allow it to simmer while you prepare the next step.
- EGG DROP: Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Once whisked, kick the heat back up to medium-high on the stock pot, and slowly pour in the beaten eggs as you stir the pot. This allows for the eggs to flow like a ribbon shape that ‘egg drop’ soup is known for. Once it heats through, you’re ready to serve. Drizzle in the toasted sesame oil. Top with chopped scallions and serve with crackers (or with cooked rice is how we like it!)
Notes
- In a pinch, you can add a (15 ounce) can of whole corn kernels (half drained) into the food processor and pulse it to make your own creamed corn!
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