This Pakistani Style Chicken Corn Soup recipe features a few simple ingredients; chicken, sweet corn, some readily available seasonings, and an egg. It’s gluten-free, meal-prep and freezer-friendly.
What is Pakistani-style chicken corn soup?
Recipes evolve and take on local flavors as they’re introduced to people. Just like my Khao Suey recipe, which is inspired by its Burmese namesake, Chinese recipes have taken on local flavors in the South Asian region and are popularly referred to as Indo-Chinese cuisine.
I grew up eating this soup and my aunt recently shared her recipe. It’s pretty simple with just a few ingredients, likely using what was readily available to people in Pakistan at the time.
Ingredients & substitutions
Chicken – Boil bone-in whole chicken or bone-in thigh meat, both work. I like to boil the whole chicken and use the leftover meat as a sandwich filling.
Water – Three cups and extra for the slurry.
Garlic – Minced garlic works or just add a whole clove.
Rice vinegar – White vinegar will work just as well.
Salt & black pepper – as per measurement or to taste.
Corn – Cream-style canned corn adds a smoothness and creaminess to this soup, but it does contain added sugar. If you want to avoid that, use canned whole corn kernels. Read on for a tip to make cream-style corn at home!
Coconut Aminos – Soy sauce can be used if you are not intolerant to gluten. Just make sure to test and adjust the salt as coconut aminos is less salty than soy sauce.
Arrowroot powder – You can use corn flour if you are not grain-free. Tapioca flour is another grain-free flour that will work in this recipe.
Egg – Whisked.
Garnish – You can use anything from green onions, boiled chicken, and or chili oil as garnish.
A note on the stock:
Because I follow a zabiha/halal diet, I make my own stock thus adding to the cook time of this soup. You can shorten the time by getting store bought stock and using that instead.
How to make the best Pakistani-style chicken corn soup
Start by making the stock. Add the chicken to a pot of filtered water and add garlic, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Let this boil, covered, on medium-high heat for about 30 minutes or till the chicken is cooked through.
Debone & chop. Once the chicken is cooked, take it out of the stock and debone it. Chop into smaller pieces. Take about 1 cup and set it aside for the soup. The rest can be stored and used in sandwiches, fillings, and wraps.
Saute. In a separate medium-sized pot, saute the chicken and the corn in oil. About 2 minutes. Next strain the prepared stock into the pot with the chicken and corn and increase the heat to high.
Season & thicken. Add coconut aminos and bring the stock to a rolling boil. In a small bowl prepare the arrowroot slurry by adding some water to the arrowroot powder. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the slurry, and let the soup thicken.
Add finishing touches. Once thick, switch off the heat and add the whipped egg. Leave it undisturbed for 20 seconds before stirring the soup. This will result in thick egg ribbons similar to the way restaurants serve it. Garnish with green onions and enjoy immediately!
Some helpful tips
- Sauteing the chicken before adding it to the soup will enhance the flavor so try and do this if you have time.
- If using arrowroot powder, don’t cook it for too long as it will break up. Switch off the heat as soon as the soup thickens.
How to make cream-style corn at home:
Blend 1 cup of the canned whole-kernel corn with 1 cup of water till smooth and creamy. This is an added step but well worth it!
Storage Tips
You can store this soup in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoy it for up to three days. Reheat it gently on the stove, adding a little water if it’s too thick to achieve your desired consistency.
You can also freeze it in separate portions in airtight containers. Defrost in the fridge overnight. Heat on the stove or in the microwave.
What to pair this soup with
This soup would make an excellent starter with Chicken Teriyaki and Cauliflower Fried Rice. You can add a Thai Salad to complete the meal!
More soups to try
If you try this recipe, I’d appreciate it so much if you would rate it! And let me know in the comments how it worked out for you. I love hearing feedback and the recipe rating helps others find this recipe!
Chicken Corn Soup (Pakistani Style)
Equipment
Ingredients
Fot the stock
- 1.5 pounds whole chicken cut into 8-12 pieces
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 3 cups water
For the soup
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup canned sweet corn
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons canned whole kernal corn
- 1/2 cup boiled and chopped chicken
- 1- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 egg whipped
For the garnish
- green onion sliced thin
Instructions
For the Stock
- In a medium-sized pot, on medium-high heat, make the stock by cooking the chicken with water, vinegar, minced garlic, salt and black pepper. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot and let the chicken cook for 30 minutes or till cooked through.
- Meanwhile, cream the corn if making cream-style corn at home. Add 1 cup canned whole-kernel corn to the jug of an immersion blender. Add a cup of water and blend till smooth and creamy. Set it aside to add to the soup later.
- Once the stock is ready, shut off the heat, take out the chicken and debone it. Chop it up, take 1 cup, and set it aside to add to the soup. Store the rest in an airtight container for later.
For the Soup
- In another medium-sized pot add the oil and once shimmering, add the chopped chicken. Saute it for a minute and then add the creamed corn mixture. Let it come to a boil and then strain the prepared stock into the the pot. In a small bowl prepare the arrowroot slurry by adding water to the arrowroot powder. Stir and set it aside. Lower the heat to medium-low, add the coconut aminos, and arrowroot slurry, and let the soup thicken. I like to add 2 tablespoons of the leftover corn to give the soup some texture but this is an optional step. Give the soup a taste test and adjust the seasonings if needed. Shut off the heat and add a whisked egg to the pot. Leave it undisturbed for about 20 seconds and then, with a fork, gently stir the soup to get thick egg ribbons. Garnish with green onions, chili sauce, and or vinegar, and enjoy!
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