Chinese Sweetcorn Soup (粟米羹 (sumai gang))
Overview
Chinese sweetcorn soup is a thick, silky soup of corn kernels, shredded chicken and ribbons of egg in a light chicken stock. Creamed corn and whole kernels are simmered together so the soup is naturally sweet and slightly creamy, then it is thickened with a slurry of cornflour and water until it coats the spoon. Beaten egg is drizzled in while the soup is stirred so it sets into fine, soft threads. It is seasoned simply with salt, white pepper and a few drops of sesame oil and finished with spring onion. Some versions use minced fish or crab meat in place of chicken.
History
Corn soup became popular in Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong and Guangzhou in the twentieth century, after canned creamed corn arrived from the West. It spread with Cantonese cooks to Chinese restaurants around the world, and it is now one of the best known starters on takeaway menus in Britain, the United States and South Asia, often served beside hot and sour soup.
Main ingredients
Sweetcorn, creamed corn, chicken, egg, chicken stock, cornflour. The soup is built on chicken stock and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Chicken soups · Egg soups · Corn soups · More soups from China
Recipe
Method
- 1
Bring the stock, creamed corn and kernels to the boil.
- 25 min
Add the chicken and simmer for 5 minutes.
- 3
Stir in the cornflour mixture and cook until thickened.
- 4
Drizzle in the egg while stirring, season and finish with sesame oil and spring onion.
- ✓
Serve. About 25 min from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
