Chinese Corn Soup
I received this super simple recipe from my friend Susie (who had also introduced me to Shrimp Scampi pasta). Whenever I was at her house and we wanted something quick, she would whip up this delicious corn soup. I had never actually known this soup was considered “Chinese” as I had never tried it in a Chinese restaurant before, but apparently it does have Chinese origins. I had always just referred to this dish as “Corn Soup,” but now I call it “Chinese Corn Soup” just to sound more cultured (and well… because that is what it actually is called).
This soup is incredibly easy to prepare; at the bare minimum, all you really need is cream-style corn, chicken broth, and eggs. All the other stuff is just extra flourish. Susie always added a can of whole kernel corn to make it extra corn-y, and I continue that tradition today. I recently started putting mushrooms in it, which I think contributes some great flavor to the soup. I have seen some recipes call for some kind of meat, such as ham, ground pork, or chicken. I have never made it with meat (due to sheer laziness), but I can imagine it would be quite good.
Chinese Corn Soup
Yields: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 5oz can Whole Kernel Corn
- 1 15oz can Cream Style Corn
- 1 15oz can Chicken Broth
- 2 eggs
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Few drops of sesame oil (optional)
- 4 small mushrooms, sliced (optional)
- 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced (optional)
Directions:
In a medium-sized pot, combine the cans of whole kernel corn, cream-style corn, chicken broth and bring to a boil. Optionally, add a few mushroom slices for more flavor.
Crack the eggs into the pot and stir quickly, breaking up the yolk while the eggs cook in the boiling soup. I do this because I like to keep the yolk and egg white flavors separate, and well… it makes it more colorful too. However, you can beat the eggs in a separate bowl instead and then stir the beaten eggs slowly into the soup to ensure you don’t have weird cooked egg clumps.
Reduce heat and let the soup simmer. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and a few drops of sesame oil to taste. Optional: Garnish with green onion (which I didn’t have at the time, so just imagine how pretty it looks with some bright green color!)
Enjoy!
