Chinese Corn and Chicken Egg Drop Soup (Su Mi Ji Rou Tang)

If you like egg drop soup, then this one's for you...In fact, it's better than your average ED soup (no, not that kind of ED, just egg drop ED), mostly because of the addition of ground chicken and creamed corn, which gives this soup more depth of flavor. I used to use 'Totole' chicken base for any Chinese recipe that called for chicken stock, but my new fav is the 'Tung Chun' brand from Hong Kong, which has no MSG (available at 99 Ranch Market). Of course, if you have the time to make a home-made chicken stock, then by all means do so. But, otherwise, chicken powder/base is a quick and flavorful alternative. Or, if all else is fails, then a good quality low-sodium canned chicken broth will suffice.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground chicken* (or 1/2 cup chopped ham)
8 cups chicken stock (8 cups water+6 tbsp. Totole or Tung-Chun chicken base)
Three 14-3/4 oz. cans creamed corn
1/2 tsp. white pepper
6 eggs, beaten
3 tsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. cornstarch + 1 tbsp. water (cornstarch slurry) - optional

1 tsp. kosher salt (0r to taste)
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

*If raw ground chicken is in strands, mix together well until smooth before adding to the soup.

1. Put the chicken broth in a large stock pot and bring to a boil. Add the ground chicken, breaking up the pieces well (potato masher works well for this). Bring stock back up to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Skim off any of the foamy stuff that comes up to the top.

2. Once chicken is cooked through and most of the foam has been removed, add the creamed corn, and white pepper. Stir to combine.

3. Bring soup back up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cook 10 minutes for the flavors to combine. Bring back up to a boil and stir in the cornstarch slurry (optional, only if you like extra thick soup). Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until soup is thickened. 

4. Swirl in the beaten eggs, stirring the soup constantly with a spoon in a clockwise motion.

5. Turn off heat and stir in the sesame oil. 

6. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with a bit of chopped fresh cilantro.

Ground chicken, cornstarch slurry, and 6 eggs beaten.

Bring chicken stock to a boil and add ground chicken, breaking up the pieces well. Skim off any foam that comes to the top.

Add the creamed corn, and white pepper.

Bring the soup back up to a boil and add the cornstarch slurry (optional). I usually skip this step because I don't like my soup super thick.

Once the soup has thickened, stir in the beaten eggs.

Turn off heat and stir in the sesame oil.