Cantonese Creamed Corn Soup

Written by
Rhonda Parkinson
Rhonda Parkinson is a freelance writer who has authored many cookbooks, including two Everything guides to Chinese cooking.
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Rhonda Parkinson
Updated 12/09/20
Cantonese Creamed Corn Soup

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
146 Calories
3g Fat
19g Carbs
11g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 146
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 26mg 9%
Sodium 615mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 4mg 18%
Calcium 28mg 2%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 355mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Traditionally, this Cantonese recipe for a corn soup relies on a Chinese cooking technique called velveting, in which pieces of meat (chicken or seafood) are coated with egg whites and some form of starch—like corn starch, potato starch, or wheat flour—before being fried. By doing so, the chicken or seafood remains juicy and tender, as the outer coating traps the moisture inside of the cubed protein. The seafood used in the original recipe of this soup is chopped into small pieces and dredged in egg whites and cornstarch. But our recipe uses a shortcut, and it's a lot simpler.

Instead of dredging the seafood in egg whites and starch, and cooking it afterward, the cornstarch and water mixture is used as a thickener. The egg whites are then streamed into the hot broth before serving, just like in an egg drop soup; the pretty white strings of egg floating around give the soup its texture.

This delicious corn and crabmeat soup, flavored with green onions and sesame oil, is a quick and filling dish that can be on your table in less than 35 minutes. Use crabmeat if it's easier to find, or replace it with cooked ham for a different flavor profile. We used homemade chicken stock, but store-bought chicken broth is fine, as long as it's low sodium and, ideally, organic.

Ingredients

For Thickening:

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 2 tablespoons water

For the Soup:

  • 5 cups chicken stock (or store-bought chicken broth)

  • 1 1/4 cups canned creamed corn

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black, or to taste)

  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

  • 2 teaspoons rice wine (or dry sherry)

  • 3/4 cup crabmeat (cooked, or cooked diced ham)

  • 2 large egg whites (lightly beaten)

  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil (or to taste)

  • 2 green onions (or spring onions, finely chopped)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Cantonese Creamed Corn Soup ingredients

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Mix the cornstarch with water, stir well, and reserve.

    cornstarch and water in a bowl

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a boil. Stir in the creamed corn and bring back to a boil, or about 3 minutes.

    creamed corn and stock in a pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Add in the salt, white pepper, sugar, rice wine, and crabmeat. Cook for about 2 minutes to bring the mixture back to a boil again.

    add salt, white pepper, sugar, rice wine, and crabmeat to the creamed corn and stock in the pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and then pour into the boiling soup, stirring to thicken. When the soup has thickened, around 5 minutes, remove the saucepan from the heat.

    Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and then pour into the boiling soup

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  6. Pour the egg whites into the soup in a steady stream and quickly stir in a clockwise direction until the egg whites form thin shreds.

    Pour the egg whites into the soup in a steady stream while stirring

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

  7. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or white pepper if needed. Add the sesame oil and the green onions for garnish, if using.

    Cantonese Creamed Corn Soup in a pot

    The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

Vegetarian and Vegan Creamed Corn

For a vegetarian version of this dish you need to make a few simple swaps:

  • Use vegetable stock or broth instead of chicken stock.
  • Replace the crab meat with 6 ounces of pressed extra firm cubed tofu, or use 6 egg whites instead of 2 to add extra texture and volume to the soup.
  • Add 1/2 cup of canned or frozen sweet corn kernels.

For a vegan version follow the same instructions as for the vegetarian version, but:

  • Skip the creamed corn, as it has dairy, and use 16 ounces of corn kernels altogether, fresh or frozen.
  • Do use tofu, but up the amount to 10 ounces, so the soup has more consistency and texture.
  • Skip the egg whites.