This is one of my favorite soups from childhood. I loved coming home to this soup on cooler days. It is a fusion dish, but I am not sure where it comes from.
There are so many reasons why this is a great recipe. First it is easy to make. It is difficult to screw this up. It can be customized to suit any family or individual. You can make it spicy, mild, My daughter and husband look forward to this soup. It makes about 4 servings.
Ingredients for the soup
- 1 lb chicken
- onion
- 2 celery stalk
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 can cream of corn (you will only use 1/2)
- 1 can sweet whole corn
- 2 egg white
- thyme 2-3 sprigs
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or less
- water (about 1/2 gallon)
- garlic (2-3 cloves for broth) 1/2-1 teaspoon for soup
- 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
Ingredients for topping
- soy sauce
- tabasco
- vinegar with or without chopped jalepenos
Step 1: Making the Broth
Add chicken, thyme, onion, celery stalk, garlic cloves to the pot. Fill it with water, Then add ginger, white pepper, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and cover. Let the chicken cook for about 30 minutes or more if needed to get chicken cooked.
Step 2: Strain, Shred and Prepare
Next, Strain the broth. Shred the chicken. I do think texture matters in this soup. Do not cut the chicken into pieces. Finely shred the chicken. You will not use all the chicken. I would start with about 2 1/2 cups.
Before we start making the soup, I would make sure all the ingredients are ready and nearby. Beat the egg whites in a bowl. Mix the 3 tablespoon of corn starch with 1/2 cup of water in a cup.
Step 3: Making the Soup
Heat about 2 tablespoon of oil. Add shredded chicken, garlic, 1/2 can cream corn soup and 1/2 can of whole corn. Mix and heat for 2-3 minutes. I would hold back on Then add the broth. Let the broth come to a boil. This soup is not a hearty or chunky soup. I would think ocean of small fishes and not a crowded river.
Step 4: Thicken Soup
Once the broth boils add the corn starch mixture and keep stirring. You may want to stir the mixture prior to adding it to the pot. The soup will slightly thicken at this point. The last step would be to add the beaten egg whites. Add slowly while stirring.
Step 5:Flavor/Customize
The soup is ready to be served. Place the soup in individual bowls. This is where everyone gets to customize the soup according to their taste.
You can cut up jalepenos and place them in a bowl full of vinegar. The vinegar is critical to the taste of the soup. Even if you do not put the peppers, I would put in the vinegar.
I also add salt, soy sauce, and tabasco. It is like pho. You will have to experiment to get the taste just right. Start off with a little.
For more ideas for the Cooler Weather, checkout or Fall Post.
