Chinese Crab and Sweet Corn Soup

Courtesy of Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh 

This is very mild tasting.  My husband describes it as delicate and elegant and it tastes the same as the soup we used to drink in a local Chinese restaurant.

Makes 4 servings 

• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 green onions (spring onions), white and green parts thinly sliced and kept separate
• 2 tsp. (10 ml) oil
• 4 cups (32 fl. oz., 1 liter) gluten-free chicken stock or water, plus gluten-free stock concentrate
• 1 x 14.75 oz. or 450 g (or similar) can of creamed corn (Buy a name brand as store brand can be woody.)
• 3 Tbsp. (45 ml) gluten-free soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. (45 ml) sherry (I always have sherry in the cupboard.  If you have rice wine you can use that.  Every sherry and rice wine will give a different flavor.  I use Taylor’s Golden sherry.)
• 1 or 2 x 6 oz. cans of gluten-free crab meat (Many 6 oz. cans of crab meat drain to only 3-4 oz. So use as much as you like or can afford. 2 cans are tastier.)
• 1 Tbsp. (30 ml) gluten-free cornstarch mixed with ¼ cup (60 ml) cold water until smooth
• 1 tsp. (5ml) sesame oil, add only in drops as it is strong and overpowering
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Put oil in a 2 quart saucepan, add garlic, ginger and white of green onion and cook gently for a minute.
2. Add stock, creamed corn, tamari and sherry, bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
3. Add cornstarch mix, bring back to the boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens slightly – 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir in crab and heat on medium heat for one minute.
5. Add sesame oil, green of green onion pieces and salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with cilantro if desired.

Notes & Alternatives:

• Make your own creamed corn with fresh corn cooked with some stock, slightly puréed and thickened with cornstarch. Or add fresh corn at beginning of soup and then roughly purée in pan.
• For Egg Drop Soup: When the soup is ready to serve, break 1 egg into small cup, beat lightly to break up the egg and pour egg into soup, stirring to form thin strands – about 30 seconds.
• Soy or teriyaki sauce all contain salt and ginger has quite a bite to it, so depending on your taste you might not want to add much salt or pepper.
• Add small cooked shrimp in addition or instead of crab.