A thick, warm soup on the table in 15 minutes! This Chinese Corn Soup, also known as Egg Drop Soup, will blow your mind. It tastes just like what you get at Chinese restaurants, is so fast to make and you don’t even need to chop a single thing. The wonders of a can of creamed corn. Watch the cooking video and see!
Sometimes, I get the very best recipes from the most unexpected sources. Like from a sassy lady in Tennessee USA, the wonderful Dorothy, all the way over on the other side of the world who I met through my blog and has provided me with some incredible recipes that readers can’t get enough of. Like her epic Easiest Ever MOIST Apple Cake and her 5 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars (my friends go nuts over these – excuse the pun).
We – well, she 🙂 – are working on an epic Thanksgiving menu that I’m so looking forward to sharing here on RecipeTin Eats!
As for this Chinese Corn soup? Well, it came from a friend of mine who has never been a fan of cooking. Loves the eating part, not so much a fan of the cooking part. 🙂
I find it oddly amusing that the soup I make most frequently came from my friend who cooks the least. But it is befitting, I guess, because this Chinese Corn Soup is definitely the fastest soup I know how to make – hence why she knew it and hence why I make it so often!
I always have little bags of shredded cooked chicken in the freezer so I almost always throw that in, which is why I am sharing this Chinese Corn Soup with chicken in it it.
And actually, I usually go one step further than that and throw in some vegetables soo. I especially like adding leafy Chinese greens, like bok choy and Chinese broccoli, or even normal broccoli or broccolini. It fills it out and makes this a complete meal.
But for the sake of providing the true base recipe, I’ve kept this straight forward, with just chicken. But in reality, I’d have bits of carrot, chopped zucchini or other bits and bobs I find in my fridge!
If you watch the cooking video below the recipe, you will see how I make this without using a chopping board at all. Because sometimes – more often that you probably expect – it is just all too hard to even chop up greens.
I actually posted this recipe way back in June 2014, over 2 years ago when I just started this blog when it was pretty much just my mother reading it!! Patience has never been my greatest virtue, and I shared some of my very best recipes way back then.
2 1/2 years on, my photography and video skills have somewhat improved so I really wanted to reshare this. It was sad, thinking about this sitting in my archives with such terrible photos, with no one making it because it is SO good. So so good.
There are a handful of recipes in this big wide world that are so ridiculously simple and effortless to make, yet taste so good. It is my mission to find and share all of them with you.
This one ticks all the boxes. It truly tastes so incredible – read the feedback from people who have tried it already! – Nagi x
More quick and easy Chinese restaurant favourites
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Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry)
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Browse all Chinese restaurant recipes
More Asian Soups you’ll love
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Ham Bone Congee (Chinese Rice Soup)
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See all Asian Recipes
PS Very authentic sight below – me coddling a bowl of soup with my nail-polish-free Baby Hands in my daggy grey jumper. This is how this soup happens in my home.
MORE 15 MINUTE Asian MEALS
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Quick Asian Beef RAMEN Noodles – 15 minutes, made in one pot
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Asian Beef Bowls – reader fave!
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Chinese Chicken and Corn Soup with Egg Ribbons – this recipe
-
Pork Stir Fry with Green Beans – flavour packed!
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Chinese Corn Soup cooking video – so you can truly see how easy this is to make, without using a knife!
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Chinese Chicken and Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken or vegetable broth/stock
- 1 can (16oz/420g) creamed corn
- 1 tsp soy sauce (all purpose or light)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine OR Mirin or Dry Sherry (can omit)
- 1 tsp ginger , minced or finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove , minced or finely chopped
- 1 tsp cornflour / cornstarch , mixed with a splash of cold water
- 1 egg , whisked
- 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
- Salt and white pepper , to taste
- 3 tbsp sliced scallions / shallots (optional)
Instructions
- Place broth, creamed corn, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, ginger, garlic and cornflour / water mixture in a saucepan over high heat.
- Bring to boil, then turn down the heat to medium and stir occasionally. Cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
- Adjust seasoning with salt, turn off heat, and slowly whisk in the egg so it cooks in "ribbons" throughout the soup. This also thickens the soup.
- Add the chicken, season with white pepper, and serve, garnished with scallions.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
The way this dog carries on, one would think he is a poor tortured soul. Never mind that he gets to the beach almost every day (see end of video for evidence!), daily bone and is smothered with unconditional love. Humph.
Absolutely love this soup recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much Kerry!
This is so delicious! I made it without the egg (I’m allergic) and with Nagi’s suggestion of Asian greens and it has such complex, delicious flavour from so few ingredients. The little bit of cornflour was enough to make it rich but not so much to make it gluggy. I love chicken soup and this now has to be my favourite! This is my first time on recipe tin eats but it won’t be the last 😁
Thanks.I’ve been loving this combo for some time now! Not sure what made me think of it…other than my sheer obsession for chicken 🙂
😂 I’m so glad you love it!
Thanks for another simple, quick & delicious recipe 😃😃
You’re so welcome Vivienne!!
Hi Nagi,
Thanks for posting this! I’m Chinese and this reminds me of the soup my mom used to make me when I was young. But instead of chicken my mom would often throw in small pieces of ham cut into cubes. The saltiness of the ham went perfect with the sweetness of the corn (I would assume the soup was seasoned less to maintain the flavor balance). A variation I think worth trying at some point 🙂
Sounds divine Melody, I’ll have to try it ❤️
It’s such an easy and tasty recipe. Armed with the video, I got my 9 year old to make it. He was very proud of his effort.
Now he can move out. LOL.
Just made this for the second time in 8 days (so that’s *not* twice in the one week… 🙂 ).
My 15yo daughter has 2 late evenings with dance classes, so needs/wants something nutritious and light. Both times she’s said how yum it is just cooking — even before the eating! Both times her comment was “this is my new favourite soup”.
I made it cooking the drumsticks to make the stock as per the laksa (which was also yum).
Thank you again Nagi! 🙂
Neddy (the kelpie sheepdog) says hello Dozer. 🙂
Great Samantha!! I’m so glad you love it! Love to you and Neddy ❤️
And this morning I sent her off to school with a small no-knead cinnamon scroll. Still warm from the oven! (so no icing)
She texted me at recess (as a Gen Z does..lol!) to say it was “yum”! And could I put apple it in next time too.
I will try this and respond under the right recipe, but wanted to say “thanks again Legend Nagi, Mum of Dozer”!
(Neddy likes them too… 🙂 !)
xo
I love your recipes, I have made several all of them very good. My problem is trying to re ad the nutrition values and some of the instructions that are very
light in print as well as just trying to read the recipe. I must have all the cooking instructions and because of medical reasons all of the nutrition values. Thank you
Hi Georgie, thanks for the feedback – I’ll look into it. Are you able to adjust the colour on your screen to make it visible? – N x
Looking forward to trying this easy recipe. Can I make a suggestion? In your nutrition info, it’s difficult to read the nutrition values since the font color is grey. For those of us with poor vision, it would be better if the font color was in black. Please consider changing, thank you!
Hi Sandi, thanks so much for the feedback – I’ll look into it!
Select the print button at top right of recipe, then the values are shown in black.
Thank you, thank you so much for the best soup I have had in a long time. Such a soothing dinner for two retired NJ former sailboat cruisers. This would have been great on the boat. I finally found a new use for the bottle of Miren in my frig.
I’m so happy you loved it Karen! If you search “mirin” on my page you’ll get a stack of recipes to use it in. Enjoy!
Yum, am mad about chicken corn soup true. Overall LOVE, LOVE COLD VS COMFORT FOOD. WISH YOU COULD TALK TO NEIGHBOUR ‘CAUSE AM SHARING EVERY DAY SOUP AS FULL MEAL DURING WINTER. WITH HER. DAWNS FAVOURITE IS MUSHROOM SOUP WITH CHESNUTS, HIPS OF FRESH THYME(MY GARDEN ) SMOKE PAPRIKA , YUM. Ok, love when animals got better of us, you, me… My cat use to do that too. Thanks for tip about frozen chicken , never thought about it, good idea. Ciao.
Best yet, quick, inexpensive, kids love it and you can control the salt content. I cook every night, am retired and wife still works. She needs a good meal. Your wonderful!!!!
This recipe brings back so many memories. I took Chinese cooking classes some 30+ years ago, and this is one of the recipes that our Chinese teacher shared from her home favourites. We used a fresh (raw) chicken breast chopped it until it resembled a paste then added the cornstarch and chopped again then she taught us a shortcut by putting the chicken into the empty cream corn can and pouring the boiling water over it which of course instantly cooked the chicken. This was added to the rest of the ingredients in the pan. It was relish. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Happy New Year from the west coast of Canada. Oh pls. give a pat and hug to Dozer..
I love that food conjures up all sorts of memories!
Hi Nagi, just came across this recipe this morning. This will help solve my problem of using leftover turkey. Hence “Chinese Turkey and Corn Soup”! I’m sure it will be just as tasty! Also, you will have to let me know the next time you are in Vancouver so that we can try and find the restaurant that inspired you to create this recipe so many years ago. I grew up in Vancouver so I know so many more delicious restaurants that we could try!!!
Turkey would be great in this recipe! ❤️
Now, that’s a simple and great recipe. Who says great flavors have to be complicated.
I’m continuing my quest for the perfect Chinese cream corn chicken soup. (well for me, anyway)
40 years ago, in Vancouver’s China town, this soup drove me pleasantly nuts.
All the great flavors and textures were right but when I took a breath after each lovely spoonful, there was this new flavor of fresh, hot buttered popcorn, that rolled over my tongue.
What an experience.
I’m still looking and experimenting.
Hi Bob, Sounds divine!! I hope this recipe comes close!
It’s a simple recipe and quick recipe and i just love how it turned out. I added double the quantity of protein and viola!
Thanks for sharing Nagi 👍
Awesome!!! Glad you enjoyed this Mina! N x ❤️
Another tasty, no fuss recipe. My first attempt a bit salty, my fault for not being careful with the type of stock I used.
What I wanted to add was that we cannot find creamed corn in Switzerland, or in neighboring France. The fix is to take 2 cans of corn, puree 1 undrained then mix with the other can in a bowl.
Thanks again for all your recipes that work so well.
This soup was a big hit with the parents at Young Parents Group today. I made a double batch but really, should have made a triple. I fed all the staff and the visitors and they were all like hungry zombies gathered around the kitchen hoping for seconds.
This recipe is so easy to follow, takes barely any time and every young parent took a copy of the recipe, keen to go home and try it for themselves…. BINGO, that exactly what we hope for!!
I didn’t have any cooking wine so I didn’t use and to my horror, had no garlic, so I added garlic salt! Worked a treat. I toasted some turkish bread and served as a topper to the soup cup.
For the small amount of effort required, this soup is AMAZING!!!
I made this today for lunch, big hit with my family.
Thanks Nagi for another great recipe.
Loved the video and Dozer is just gorgeous!
Forgot my 5 star rating! Lol.
I made this today for lunch, big hit with my family.
Thanks Nagi for another great recipe.
Loved the video and Dozer is just gorgeous!
I just made this recipe like in 15 minutes! It’s so good!!! Even better than the ones from the chines restaurants! Again , Nagi, you rock!!!!