Sweetcorn soup – Chinese style 45p a head.

So recently I had a craving. I think you might be able to guess due to the title at the top, but yes it was for that chicken and sweetcorn soup you get from the chinese. In looking for recipes lots of them were asking for ‘creamed corn’, which I think is just a fancy way of saying actual sweetcorn thats been mashed a bit.

So my chinese style sweetcorn went like this:

Ingredients:

• – 325g can of sweetcorn (same size as the everyday value can), drained weight is 265 if you’re using frozen. (Try to put the juice to one side)
• – 2 spring onions
• – garlic, and ginger
• – one egg
• – 600ml stock or a couple of stock cubes
• – soy sauce and sesame seeds (both optional)
• – Salt and Pepper (again optional)

Step one:

Add the garlic and ginger to a pan* , after one minute throw in the sweetcorn, after reserving the juice in some form of container.Stir thoroughly, then after a further two minutes remove the sweetcorn from the heat, and place onto a shopping board.

Step two:

Put chopped spring onions into the original pan, meanwhile roughly chop the sweetcorn or partially mash it, depending on what you feel like. Pour the stock and any reserved sweetcorn juice into the pan with the spring onions and bring to the boil.

Step three:

Add the sweetcorn back into the pan with any juices as well. (If you want your soup being slightly thicker it is at this point you should add cornflour and whisk thoroughly). Whisk the egg in a container then, whisk the pan so it is swirling and then pour in the egg slowly. At this point you have a decision to make, either long strands of egg or lots of wispy egg. My vote is usually long thin stands in which case whisk the mixture as little as possible, but either tastes yummy to me.

Step four:

Taste. Add a dash of soy sauce, salt or pepper depending on your own personal preferences. I personally add a teaspoon of soy sauce and a bit of pepper.

Voila. Serve the masterpieces that is delicious.

Note: This can be made with chicken if one has some lying around or needs using up, or with the addition of bacon. If so add in the first stage with the ginger and garlic and mash the sweetcorn without mixing them together. An interesting addition to this recipe could be mushrooms (added at the egg stage) or broccoli (added around the stock time, if not already cooked). I know a friend who likes to put noodles into their soup but so far I’ve not been that daring and adventurous.

* If you want to add sesame seeds here is the place to throw some in.

I’ll try and get some pictures up later.

Free range Egg – 17p, Stock – two cubes 4p, I used lazy garlic / ginger so I imagine 6p for both. Sweetcorn – 35p, spring onions – 49 a bunch, I got eight in mine – 13p. Soy sauce, sesame seeds, salt and pepper I’m overestimating 15p, all optional though.

So the total costing for this is: £1.26, taking into account you can’t buy individual spring onions. I personally think you could put in any type of onion, but you would have to chop them very finely. 90p total if you do not add on the other onions.

This makes two and a little bit servings, so a very yummy alternative to the local takeaway for 45p a head.

Pre Egg.