Description
Make this nourishing soup featuring tender chicken, sweet corn, and a lively balance of spicy and tangy flavors. It is a comforting, healthier version of the classic restaurant favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450 g) chicken breasts or thighs
- 6 cups (1.4 L) chicken broth
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels (fresh, canned, or frozen)
- 1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
- ½ cup bamboo shoots, shredded (optional)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1–2 tsp chili oil or chili paste
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 4 tbsp cold water
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Fresh cilantro (optional)
- Extra chili oil for serving
Instructions
- Add chicken to a pot with broth and salt. Simmer 12–15 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken, shred it into thin pieces, and set the shredded chicken aside. Keep the broth in the pot.
- To the broth, add corn, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, garlic, and ginger. Simmer 5 minutes until vegetables soften and flavors release.
- Stir in soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili oil or chili paste, white pepper, and sesame oil (if using). Taste the soup and adjust seasonings: add more vinegar for sourness, more chili for heat, more soy sauce for saltiness, or more white pepper for deeper heat.
- Bring the soup to a gentle simmer. Slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes until the soup thickens to a velvety texture.
- Return the shredded chicken to the pot. Simmer 2 minutes so the flavors blend.
- Turn the heat to low. Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup while stirring gently in one direction to create silky ribbons. Do not stir aggressively.
- Turn off the heat. Add sliced green onions and optional cilantro. Serve hot with extra white pepper, chili oil, or more vinegar if desired.
Notes
- For a sharper tang, add more rice vinegar when adjusting seasonings.
- The white pepper is essential for achieving the authentic Asian-style heat profile.
- This soup tastes best when served immediately after preparing the egg ribbons.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian-Inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 650
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Unsaturated Fat: 5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 28
- Cholesterol: 150
Keywords: Chicken Corn Hot & Sour Soup, Winter Soup Recipes, Fall Soup Recipes, Crockpot Soup Recipes, Healthy Soup Recipes, Comfort Soup Recipes, Spicy Soup, Tangy Soup, Asian Soup