Oh, look! Another soup! It’s cooling down here now, and I’m swapping my salads for soups as my seasonal staples. I’ve been making this soup for years, and it’s an absolute winner. I mean, chicken and corn soup isn’t anything overly special, but the sweet chilli sauce – such a simple addition to such a simple dish – makes such a difference to the versions I ate growing up. Adding a pumpkin lemonade scone for dipping makes this a delightfully delicious light meal that will leave you feeling like you’ve partaken in something special. Yet, it’s a cinch to make, and so very budget friendly. A serve of each sits right at 400 calories, making it the perfect winter warmer.
Sweet Chilli Chicken and Corn Soup
Serves 4 at 300 calories per serve
Ingredients
1.25 litres chicken stock
2 garlic cloves, minced
1tsp minced ginger
1 onion, finely diced
420g can creamed corn
200g sweetcorn kernels
300g chicken thigh fillets, skin removed
2tsp soy sauce
1tbs sweet chilli sauce
2 eggs whites, beaten
Salt and pepper, to serve
Method
- Bring stock to the boil. Add garlic, ginger, corn, onions and chicken to the stock, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until chicken is mostly cooked through.
- Remove chicken from the stock, and using two forks, shred meat. Return to stock and resume simmering (uncovered) for five minutes or until cooked through.
- Stir through the soy and sweet chilli sauces. In a thin stream, slowly pour in the egg whites, whisking the soup to incorporate evenly. Cook for another minute, then serve with a generous crack of black pepper and salt to taste
Pumpkin Scones
makes 16 at 100 calories each (they freeze really well)
Ingredients
300g pumpkin (weight without skin and seeds)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon maldon salt flakes
1/2 cup lemonade (Schweppes works well as it’s not too sweet)
1/2 cup thickened cream
1tbs milk
Method
- Steam pumpkin until very tender, drain and cool.
- Preheat oven to 220C and prepare a tray with non-stick baking paper (I give it a little spray with oil anyway, because I have trust issues).
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl.
- Combine cream and lemonade. Pour into flour, and using a flat blade knife, mix to combine. Don’t overmix, but do ensure the flour is incorporated. The dough will be rather wet and sticky.
- Using a tablespoon or, better yet, a soup spoon, dollop spoonfuls of mixture on the prepared trays, shaping them into neat rounds with only a few millimetres of space between them.
- Brush with milk and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly on the tray. Serve with soup as they are, or spread with just a little butter or (as I tend to do) cottage cheese.
