Chicken and Sweetcorn Soup with Ginger

This chicken and sweetcorn soup has a lightly thickened broth rather than a cream base. Ginger, garlic and soy sauce provide the seasoning; cornflour mixed with water is stirred in near the end. An optional beaten egg adds ribbons of egg, not dairy creaminess.

Ingredients

• 300g chicken breast, diced
• 300g sweetcorn (tinned or frozen)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• Sea salt & white pepper
• Spring onions (optional)

Cook the chicken and broth

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced chicken and cook for 5–6 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove and set aside while you continue; browning alone does not establish that the chicken is fully cooked.
2. In the same pot, cook the onion for 5–6 minutes, until soft.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute.
4. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Return the chicken and its juices to the pot.
5. Add the sweetcorn and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Drain tinned corn before adding it, or follow the frozen corn's cooking instructions.

Thicken with a slurry

1. Mix the 2 tbsp cornflour with the 2 tbsp water in a separate bowl until smooth. Here, cornflour means the starch used for thickening, called cornstarch in the US, not cornmeal.
2. Stir the slurry again immediately before use, then slowly pour it into the soup while stirring.
3. Simmer for 5 more minutes, stirring as the broth thickens.
4. Stir in the soy sauce and taste before adding salt and white pepper. Add sliced spring onions at the end if using.

Before serving, ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked, using a food thermometer and applicable poultry-safety guidance rather than appearance or elapsed time alone.

Optional egg-drop variation

The original variation adds 1 beaten egg. Pour it in a thin stream while stirring the simmering soup to form ribbons, and continue cooking until the egg is fully cooked. This adds egg to the recipe; it is optional, not a replacement for the cornflour.

Allow for the full sequence

The 15–20 minute simmer follows the chicken browning, onion cooking and garlic-and-ginger stage. The slurry then needs a further 5 minutes simmering. Chopping and bringing the broth to a boil take additional time.

Preparing portions for later

Divide leftovers into clean, shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. If freezing, use freezer-safe containers or soup trays, leave expansion space according to their instructions and label the portions. Transfer frozen tray portions to a freezer bag or container once solid.

Thaw in the fridge, then reheat in a pot, stirring until hot throughout. Cornflour-thickened broth and egg ribbons may change texture after freezing, so an identical freshly made finish is not guaranteed.

Serving ideas

Add separately cooked rice or noodles to the bowl, or serve with bread, crackers or crispy wontons. Spring onions, sesame oil and chili oil are optional finishing additions.

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