This creamy chicken and corn soup is cosy comfort in a bowl! With nourishing bone broth, silky cream, tender chicken, and sweet pops of corn, it’s a one-pot meal that’s so easy to make. A classic soup for a perfect weeknight dinner! Plus a 10-minute version toward the bottom of this post if you’re really short on time!
There are two kinds of chicken and corn soup. There’s the Chinese version which is made with egg swirled into the hot soup at the last moment – served as an appetizer at many Chinese restaurants. Or, there’s a chicken and corn chowder which is more like something you’d find in the Southwest United States. This creamy chicken and corn soup is more like the second version, except not as thick as a traditional chowder!
The broth is a nourishing, savoury chicken bone broth base that is slightly thickened with cream. The corn and generous amounts of chicken make this a chunky, slightly thick soup. For its simplicity, it is out-of-this-world comforting and delicious!
Ingredients for this Creamy Chicken and Corn Soup
One of the many reasons I love this soup so much is that it just takes a few basic ingredients. It really is such a simple one-pot meal for when you want comfort food but lack time (and effort!).
The Chicken
I like to use chicken drumsticks for this chicken and corn soup – bone-in and skin on! I just find it gives more flavour (especially from the skin) and I prefer texture of drumstick meat in a soup over chicken breast. Plus, while the bones simmer away, they impart more collagen and gelatin, which makes the soup richer, and more nutrient-dense!
For the 10-minute version of this soup, just use pre-cooked shredded chicken. If you ever have a roast chicken, save the extra bits of meat off the carcass and freeze them for soups!
The Corn
I use canned sweetcorn for this creamy chicken and corn soup, for pure convenience. It would work just as well with fresh corn kernels cut straight off the cob, if they’re in season! You can also use frozen corn kernels as well.
I don’t use creamed corn – just personal preference! I like the pop you get from the whole kernels, and I like a clean, simple broth. But you can go for creamed corn if that’s what you like!
The Broth, and Spices
I use a mixture of chicken bone broth and chicken stock for this soup. Typically, if I’m using bone broth, I thin it out with water, like I do in my Ultimate Chicken Soup recipe. And that’s because bone broth is thicker and has a richer mouth-feel than stock, but can be equally as flavourful. But, because there is no vegetable base imparting initial flavour for this soup, I use stock to make up for this.
To make bone broth, bones are simmered for 12-24 hours, or longer. This long simmer extracts all the vitamins and minerals from the bones. This includes several amino acids (the building blocks of protein), calcium, potassium, magnesium and so much more! You also get a tonne of collagen (which turns into gelatin) – great for skin!
You can make your own bone broth, or find it in most supermarkets. When I’m out of home-made, I buy this one here from Coles or Woolies!
I use pure cream as the thickener here – not ‘thickened cream’. Thickened cream in Australia is typically thickened with vegetable gums or artificial thickeners, which can cause gut irritation and inflammation. Here’s the pure cream I buy. If unsure, always look for the label that reads 100% cream!
And the spices are really simple – just salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. That’s all you’ll need for this flavourful soup!
How to Make Creamy Chicken and Corn Soup
This dish requires no chopping – you just throw everything in a pot, shred some chicken, and season to taste. That’s literally it! The secret to getting maximum flavour is really in browning the chicken in butter and spices at the start.
Browning the chicken leads to the Maillard reaction, which brings out a beautiful sweetness and depth of flavour to food. It also creates the crusty brown bits at the bottom of the pot (the fond) which add more flavour to the soup. You also render out some of the fat from the skin of the drumsticks – extra yumminess!!!
After browning the chicken in butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder, pour in your bone broth and stock. Then simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot, and shred the meat either with your hands, or two forks.
Return the meat to the pot, add your corn, cream, then adjust seasonings to taste.
And just like that, you’ve got a comforting, creamy chicken and corn soup to enjoy!
For the 10-Minute Version
To make this creamy chicken and corn soup in 10 minutes, you’ll need about 700g-750g of shredded chicken meat. You can buy this from delis, or, save the extra bits of meat from roast chicken and store in the freezer for soups!
First you’ll need to lightly fry your spices in butter for a minute or two. Then pour in your bone broth and stock, and bring to the boil. Throw in your cooked, shredded chicken, corn, and cream, and simmer for a minute or two until the corn is heated through. Adjust for seasonings, and that’s it! A delicious, nourishing soup in 10 minutes – with no chopping, or prep. It doesn’t get simpler than that!
Serving Up your Creamy Chicken and Corn Soup
I think there’s only one way to serve soup – with a few thick slices of crusty sourdough bread. For some freshness (and prettiness), garnish with some parsley. Or, to make this soup even heartier, top with crunchy bacon bits and shredded cheddar cheese.
However you choose to enjoy this soup, I hope you love this recipe! xxx
Creamy Chicken and Corn Soup (Plus 10-Minute Version!)
Description
With sweet pops of corn, tender chicken, and a savoury, creamy broth, this creamy chicken and corn soup is cosy, comforting, and utterly delicious! Make the 10-minute version if you're really short on time but still want something nourishing!
Ingredients
Method
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Heat the butter in a pot on medium-high heat. Throw in the chicken, garlic powder, onion powder, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes to brown the chicken.
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Pour in the bone broth and stock, and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring to the boil, and lower the heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked.
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Remove the chicken from the pot, and once cool enough to handle, shred the meat with your hands, or by using two forks.
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Return the meat to the pot on a low heat. Add the corn and cream, and stir through for a 1-2 minutes to heat everything through. Do not bring to the boil - see Note 3. Adjust for salt and pepper and enjoy!
Note
- If you are making the 10-minute version of this recipe, just substitute this with about 700g-750g of cooked, shredded chicken. You can buy this from most delis, or, save the bits of meat from roast chickens and freeze for soups!
- I like to use pure cream, not thickened cream. Thickened cream is thickened with vegetable gums or artificial thickeners, which may contribute to inflammation and gut irritation. If unsure, just read the label and check for 100% cream.
- You only want to heat the cream and the corn at this stage - don't bring the soup to a boil. There's a chance the cream might curdle if you heat it for too high for too long.
