Chinese Crab and Corn Soup
Do you try and remember the first things you learned to cook? My memory is a bit hazy, but here’s my list so far:
- Rice, because some Filipino kids are forced to cook as soon as they can lift a pot.
- Eggs, sunny-side up.
- Hot dogs, cut with a butter knife to resemble octopi.
And of course, this crab and corn soup. From a packet, mind you, in its full natural and artificial flavoring glory. In case you were wondering, the neon-red crab product highlighted on the packaging falls under the synthetic category. It could’ve been anything from fish-flavored bathmat bits to dessicated denture adhesive and I wouldn’t have cared. Stirring with a blackened wooden spoon in one hand and an egg in the other, I felt like a rockstar grade-schooler while preparing instant soup.
I had almost forgotten about this soup so I was glad to find this recipe in my favorite Chinese cookbook. It eschews the cornstarch to keep it light, and more importantly, it’s all natural, as long as you stay away from krab.
recipe adapted from Eileen Yin-fei Lo’s The Chinese Kitchen
Chinese Crab and Corn Soup
makes 6 to 8 servings
4 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) corn kernels, fresh or frozen
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 pound crabmeat
5 large egg whites or 3 whole eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
Equipment:
- A blender
- A heavy pot
Notes:
- Change the amount of corn that is pureed with the chicken stock to get the desired consistency. I used about a quarter of the corn kernels for a thinner soup.
Instructions:
- Place about half of the corn kernels and 1 cup of the stock in a blender. Pulse to a coarse puree.
- In a heavy pot, heat the remaining 5 cups of chicken stock with the grated ginger, ground pepper, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the whole corn kernels and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat to high and immediately add the pureed corn. Bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes while stirring.
- Add the crabmeat and return to a boil.
- Pour a thin stream of beaten egg in a spiral pattern over the soup and stir well. Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
To Serve:
Sprinkle with the sliced scallions and serve immediately.
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November 15th, 2008 at 5:26 am
Crab and corn soup that uses real crab meat? Blasphemy I tell you!! Kidding– it is truly appetizing. I’ve bookmarked it already because 1. it’s so easy 2. making desserts has left me with a huge accumulation of egg whites.
Hmm, my first would probably be fried egg. But I had no pressure to cook anything at all
November 15th, 2008 at 5:38 am
Your soup looks delightful! Really comforting and delicious!
Cheers,
Rosa
November 15th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Hamburger stroganoff and chocolate chip cookies, I’m still making the chocolate chip cookies ;0)
Love the look and sound of the soup Jude . . . without the krab.
November 15th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Cooking – Rice-a-roni. Baking – bread or apple pie.
I always liked baking better, although that soup really does sound amazing. I think I’ll have to take a look at that book too.
November 15th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Okay, the steaming bowl picture is just awesome and it sounds so delicious! I love crab so count me in for this one!
November 15th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Looks great, Jude! Not synthetic at all. I had to laugh out loud when I read your description of “crab product.” I remember that stuff. Not good. Not good at all. But your soup looks great, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had a corn soup!
November 15th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Wow, that soup sound fantastic. We like corn & crab chowder but it can be so heavy so this seems like a good light alternative
November 15th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
I find this soup so appealing, and really like the addition of ginger with the corn & crab.
While I love corn chowder, which is a thicker & heartier soup, sometimes I get tired of it as the winter season progresses. This soup would make a lovely change of pace, and it sounds easy to make!
November 15th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
I think the first thing I cooked was pizza bread – white bread, tomato sauce, shredded cheese, toasted. Wow, haven’t thought of that in years.
Never had corn crab soup before, I’ll have to try it.
November 15th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
awesome photo!!! hey better than mine! captures steam perfectly.
November 15th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
As a kid, toast was my main thing. In fact, it was my only thing. I did not learn to cook until I got divorced.
Nice soup, by the way!
November 15th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
I think my first cooking experience was spaghetti with jarred Ragu…as my mom is Thai, the “American” food she knew how to make for my dad was limited at first.
That looks so warm and comforting and I am amazed that you caught the steam –great photograph!
November 15th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
First things I cooked? I love this question. I think the first thing I remember doing myself was “fruit cloud” from a kid’s cookbook–fruit cocktail tossed in whipped cream, mixed with marshmallows, and then (why? I don’t know) frozen in individual lumps.
I love the idea of crab and corn. I bet the sweetness of those two goes beautifully together.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Well, if this is one of the first things you’ve cooked, then I guess maybe I can do it
While I do love my hot dog octopi, this soup looks delicious. Nice for a cold day!
November 16th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I remember my aunt cutting up hot dogs to look like an octopus too!
I love how delicate this soup sounds and looks. Yum!
November 16th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Mandelbread cookies, and brownies. I was messing around with brownies before I could reach the counter, and I still am. Jude, that soup looks so steamy delicious!
November 16th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
yum! crab and corn has to be one of my favorite combinations, ever. have you ever read the happy in the kitchen cookbook? there’s a crab cake wrapped in corn kernels (and bacon, i think!) that is aaaamaaaazinng! the pics here are gorgeous, too!!
November 16th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
What a fabulous combination of flavors. This looks so warm and comforting.
November 16th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
This soup looks so yummy!
November 17th, 2008 at 12:02 am
The first thing I remember “cooking” was a cream of corn soup. That was my first attempt at serious cooking. Left a heck of a mess afterwards but it was fun. The soup turned out great too, but that’s because of the loads of butter and cream in it.
This looks light, elegant, and also very comforting. Corn soup is a family favourite. I love the crab of course. I also like it with fish maw.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:46 am
wow!!! look at that steam coming up from the bowl!
November 17th, 2008 at 2:55 am
Thanks for reminding me about this soup. Yeah, I remember having this from a packet as well. I don’t think I ever had this soup with real crab before but thanks to you, that’s about to change.
November 17th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I’m terrified of cooking with real crab. I love corn soups though so I might just have to get over it.
November 18th, 2008 at 12:34 am
I love the sound of this soup!
November 18th, 2008 at 5:16 am
I love corn … your soup looks really really good … I wish to drink it now though I just had dinner XD
November 18th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Delicious! I’ve never had chicken and corn soup that I liked – usually it’s too cornstarchy and tastes artificial. Yours looks mouth watering.
November 20th, 2008 at 12:00 am
I love this soup. It’s so light yet yummy. Sprinkle it with a bit of white pepper and it’s perfect!
November 20th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Looks great, Jude! I love the steam coming from the soup
The first thing I learned how to cook would probably be Pancakes lol, My dad LOVED pancakes and we had them at least once a week
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:14 am
Thanks for sharing guys!
It took a lot of clicks but I’m glad some steam got captured.
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:21 am
Kababayan!
I learned to cook rice before everything else, of course. And with a rice cooker, it’s not really cooking.
Mmm, Knorr crab and corn soup. Memories!
September 12th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
This looks great.
I have the crab meat and the corn so I am ready to go.
This will be dinner this evening.
Thanks.
March 7th, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Thanks for sharing this one!
September 23rd, 2010 at 7:43 am
its great, thanks for sharing. i will try to make it as u said. should be fantstic!
August 8th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Great…
love your blog, http://www.freeblog.com.br/jennifer11/ ,Thanks again….
February 29th, 2012 at 10:09 pm
How to clean the crab yar!! im not new for cooking, but just my mother never let mw do this ler!!
Any subtitute for the corn, my son dont like it loh!!