Sweet Corn Soup
The Indo-Chinese restaurant starter: silky corn soup with egg ribbons and white pepper.
Ingredients
- 400 g Corn kernels
- 800 ml Stock
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg (optional)
- 1 tsp Ginger (optional)
- 2 Scallions (optional)
- ¼ tsp White pepper (optional)
- 1 tsp Rice vinegar (optional)
Method
- Blitz or mash half the corn kernels into a rough puree, keeping the rest whole for texture.
- Grate the ginger finely and slice the scallions thinly, keeping the green tops for garnish.
- Stir the cornstarch with a little cold water into a smooth slurry, and beat the egg in a separate cup.
- In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine the stock, pureed and whole corn, ginger, and salt; bring to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Re-stir the slurry and pour it into the simmering soup, stirring, until the soup turns glossy and thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Stir the soup into a gentle swirl and stream in the beaten egg in a thin ribbon so it sets in silky strands, then turn off the heat.
- Season the soup with white pepper and a drop of rice vinegar if you like, top with the scallion greens, and ladle into bowls.
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About Sweet Corn Soup
Sweet corn soup is a fixture of Indo-Chinese cooking, the silky, gently thickened starter that shows up on nearly every Chinese-restaurant menu across India. Its texture is engineered rather than accidental: half the corn is pureed to lend body and sweetness while the rest stays whole for pops of bite, and a cornstarch slurry is stirred in to give the soup its signature glossy, spoon-coating thickness. Beaten egg is streamed in at the end to set into fine ribbons through the broth.
The flavor is mild, sweet, and comforting, lifted by grated ginger, scallion, and the distinctive sharp warmth of white pepper, with a drop of rice vinegar to keep it from turning cloying. It is served hot as an opener, often with chili sauce and vinegar on the side to spike to taste. High in protein from the egg and light on its feet, this version is quick to pull together and hinges on two small techniques, pureeing only half the corn and re-stirring the slurry just before it goes in, that give the soup its restaurant-style body and shine.
Sweet Corn Soup: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Sweet Corn Soup?
A serving has about 266 calories — 13g protein, 36.9g carbs, 7g fat, 4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Sweet Corn Soup gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Sweet Corn Soup has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Do I need every ingredient to make Sweet Corn Soup?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out egg, ginger, scallions — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Sweet Corn Soup make?
This recipe makes 3 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.