Corn and chicken soup is a variation of Chinese chicken corn soup. This one features rivels (recipe included) and that adds a special something to the dish. One of the secrets of soup is never to serve it boiling hot. It is always better to prepare it slowly using a very gentle simmer to avoid scorching the contents. This recipe should be kept as another version of chicken and corn soup but I urge you to try it because the taste is terrific.
Ingredients
- 1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 2-1/2 to 3 quarts water, or as needed to cover the chicken
- 1 large onion
- 8 to 10 black peppercorns
- 2 tsps salt, or to taste
- 8 to 10 threads of saffron, or 1/4 tsp crushed saffron (optional)
- 10 ears of corn, or 4 cups frozen corn kernels
- 3 celery stalks, diced with leaves
- 6 ounces wide egg noodles, packaged egg barley, or Rivels (recipe follows)
- Freshly ground white pepper
- 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
Ingredients for Rivels
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch of ground white pepper
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour, as needed
Instructions for Corn and Chicken Soup
Place chicken in soup pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and skim foam as it rises to the surface. When it has subsided, add onion, peppercorns, salt, and saffron.
Simmer gently but steadily, partly covered, for about 1-1/2 hours or until tender.
Remove chicken. Trim and discard bones, skin and onion. Let soup cool, then skim fat from surface.
Tear meat into bit size pieces and return to soup.
Cut kernels from 4 ears of corn, then grate kernels from remaining 6 ears, catching all milk and pulp on foil or waxed paper. If using frozen kernels, puree half in a food processor or blender, adding a little soup if liquid is needed.
Add whole kernels and grated or pureed corn to soup along with celery and noodles, barley, or rivels.
Simmer gently until corn and noodles or rivels are cooked.
Add salt and white pepper to taste.
Stir in parsley and serve, garnishing each portion with chopped egg.
This soup freezes well, but do that before adding the noodles, barley, or dumplings. Prepare those when reheating soup.
Re-heat over gentle heat to avoid scorching.
Yield: 8 to 10 first-course servings; 4 to 6 main-course servings.
To make Rivels:
Stir salt and pepper into egg and add 2/3 cup flour and beat. Keep adding and beating in flour until mixture is crumbly but a bit sticky.
Rub between hands or pinch off pea-size pieces and drop them into simmering soup.
Cover loosely and let cook for about 15 minutes or until rivels solidify.
To make the rivels ahead of time, cook them in lightly salted boiling water or some extra soup stock and then drain and reserve them to be reheated in the soup just before it is served.
Enjoy your corn and chicken soup.
Corn and Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 4 to 5-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 2-1/2 to 3 quarts water or as needed to cover the chicken
- 1 large onion
- 8 to 10 black peppercorns
- 2 tsps salt or to taste
- 8 to 10 threads of saffron or 1/4 tsp crushed saffron (optional)
- 10 ears of corn or 4 cups frozen corn kernels
- 3 celery stalks diced with leaves
- 6 ounces wide egg noodles packaged egg barley, or Rivels (recipe follows)
- Freshly ground white pepper
- 2/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 hard-cooked eggs chopped
Ingredients for Rivels
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Pinch of ground white pepper
- 1 large egg beaten
- 3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour as needed
Instructions
- Place chicken in soup pot with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and skim foam as it rises to the surface. When it has subsided, add onion, peppercorns, salt, and saffron.
- Simmer gently but steadily, partly covered, for about 1-1/2 hours or until tender.
- Remove chicken. Trim and discard bones, skin and onion. Let soup cool, then skim fat from surface.
- Tear meat into bit size pieces and return to soup.
- Cut kernels from 4 ears of corn, then grate kernels from remaining 6 ears, catching all milk and pulp on foil or waxed paper. If using frozen kernels, puree half in a food processor or blender, adding a little soup if liquid is needed.
- Add whole kernels and grated or pureed corn to soup along with celery and noodles, barley, or rivels.
- Simmer gently until corn and noodles or rivels are cooked.
- Add salt and white pepper to taste.
- Stir in parsley and serve, garnishing each portion with chopped egg.
- This soup freezes well, but do that before adding the noodles, barley, or dumplings. Prepare those when reheating soup.
- Re-heat over gentle heat to avoid scorching.
To make Rivels:
- Stir salt and pepper into egg and add 2/3 cup flour and beat. Keep adding and beating in flour until mixture is crumbly but a bit sticky.
- Rub between hands or pinch off pea-size pieces and drop them into simmering soup.
- Cover loosely and let cook for about 15 minutes or until rivels solidify.
- To make the rivels ahead of time, cook them in lightly salted boiling water or some extra soup stock and then drain and reserve them to be reheated in the soup just before it is served.
Notes
