This easy Chinese Corn Egg Drop Soup (粟米蛋花湯) is a comforting Cantonese-style soup made with sweet corn, chicken broth and silky ribbons of egg. It’s naturally sweet and savoury, lightly thickened with cornflour, and comes together in less than 20 minutes with just a handful of ingredients.
Corn egg drop soup was one of the few Chinese soups I genuinely loved as a child. It’s a familiar home-style dish in Hong Kong and Cantonese cooking, and you’ll also find different versions served at Chinese restaurants. Some add chicken or fish maw, but this simple version lets the sweet corn and delicate egg ribbons take centre stage. Instead of using canned cream-style corn, this recipe blends some of the sweetcorn to create that creamy corn base while keeping the remaining kernels whole for texture. It’s quick, simple and perfect when you’re craving a warming bowl of Chinese comfort food.
Why You’ll Love This Chinese Corn Egg Drop Soup Recipe
This soup is my childhood favourite for a reason and it’s something I still absolutely adore making today.
- Ready in around 20 minutes – making this an easy soup for weeknight dinners.
- Simple ingredients – all you need is tinned sweet corn, chicken stock, eggs and cornflour.
- No cream-style corn required – I’ve always grown up using tinned cream-style corn, but they are not common in UK supermarkets. Hence this recipe.
- Naturally creamy – this recipe uses blended sweetcorn to create body without using cream.
- Easy to customise – why not perk it up with some chicken, crab, tofu, mushrooms etc.!
What Is Chinese Corn Egg Drop Soup
Chinese corn egg drop soup is a comforting soup made with sweet corn and delicate ribbons of beaten egg cooked directly in a hot broth. In Cantonese, the dish is commonly known as 粟米蛋花湯 (sweet corn egg flower soup), with the wispy strands of cooked egg resembling little flowers floating through the soup. Unlike a clear egg drop soup, Cantonese-style corn soup has a slightly thicker consistency and a distinctive sweetness from the corn. Some versions contain shredded chicken, while more elaborate Cantonese versions may include ingredients such as fish maw.
This recipe keeps things simple with sweet corn, chicken broth and eggs. Part of the corn is blended to give the broth more body and a stronger corn flavour, while cornflour creates that silky, lightly thickened texture.
How to make Cantonese Cream Corn Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients You Need
- Sweet Corn – I use canned sweet corn, but both frozen and fresh sweetcorn work as well. Part of the corn is blended to create a creamy base, while the rest remains whole for texture.
- Chicken Broth – this provides the savoury base that balances the natural sweetness of the corn. Use a good-quality halal chicken stock or bouillon. You can substitute vegetable stock for a meat-free version.
- Cornflour / Cornstarch – thickens the broth and creates the silky consistency associated with Chinese-style corn soup.
- Eggs – beat the eggs thoroughly before slowly pouring them into the soup to create beautiful egg ribbons in the soup.
- Salt & White Pepper – to season
- Spring Onions – for garnish
Recipe Notes
- You will need a hand blender for this recipe.
- Always mix cornflour with cold water to create a slurry before adding it to the soup. This prevents the flour from forming stubborn, gummy lumps. Do not add dry cornflour directly.
- To make the egg drop, slowly drizzle and stir in the beaten eggs. You don’t want to stir it too quickly as that would break up the eggs cooking over the heat of the soup. Keep it slow and steady until the eggs take shape in ribbons/threads.
Corn Egg Drop Soup Variations
| Soup Variation | What to Add |
|---|---|
| Chicken Corn Soup | Add finely shredded cooked chicken for a more substantial soup. |
| Crab & Corn Soup | Add shredded crab meat. |
| Prawn Corn Soup | Add chopped cooked prawns near the end. |
| Vegetarian Corn Egg Drop Soup | Swap chicken stock for vegetable stock. |
Browse for More Easy Halal Chinese Recipes
Chinese Steamed Fish
Chinese Tomato Egg Stir Fry
Cantonese Ketchup Prawns
Chinese Corn Egg Drop Soup (Easy Cantonese Recipe)
Equipment
- 1 Hand blender
Ingredients
- 2 cups Sweet Corn (tinned/frozen/fresh)
- 5 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 tsp Cornflour / Cornstarch
- 2 Eggs beaten
- ¼ tsp White Pepper
- Salt to taste
- Spring Onions (optional) chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Using a large pot, bring Chicken Broth to a boil. Add 1 cup of sweet corn and simmer for 5 minutes until tender.5 cups Chicken Broth, 2 cups Sweet Corn (tinned/frozen/fresh)
- Blend the mixture until smooth using a hand blender.
- Stir in the remaining sweet corn and simmer for another 5 minutes till tender.
- Mix cornflour with 1 tsp of cold water to create a slurry. Stir the slurry into the soup and let it simmer for a few minutes until the soup is thickened.1 tsp Cornflour / Cornstarch
- Slowly drizzle the beaten eggs into the soup, gently stirring it as you do to create silky egg ribbons.2 Eggs
- Season with salt and white pepper. Garnish with chopped spring onions (if using). Serve immediately.¼ tsp White Pepper, Spring Onions (optional)
Notes
- Always mix cornflour with cold water to create a slurry before adding it to the soup. This prevents the flour from forming stubborn, gummy lumps. Do not add dry cornflour directly.
- To make the egg drop, slowly drizzle and stir in the beaten eggs. You don’t want to stir it too quickly as that would break up the eggs cooking over the heat of the soup. Keep it slow and steady until the eggs take shape in ribbons/threads.
Save & pin this recipe!
