Chinese style chicken and sweetcorn soup

We love chinese food here at Frugally Well, this soup is a staple served with soft Chinese dumplings

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1. 1 left over chicken carcass with any meat left on removed and set aside
2. A handful of mixed herbs from the garden
3. 1 small red chilli
4. 1 clove of garlic, made into a paste or very finely chopped
5. 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder (or 2 shallots finely chopped)
6. 1 small tin of sweetcorn
7. 1 teaspoon of cornflour
8. 1 litre of boiling water
9. S&P
10. 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
11. Optional: Dried noodles (you choose how many to add to your own preference)/4 spring onion tops

First you need to make your stock, this can be made in advance or prior to eating.  

Home made chicken stock:

Don't waste your chicken carcass after a roast.  There's hardly any effort involved in making home made stock but the result is going to be the best stock at minimal cost.

I don't put additional ingredients other than herbs I've grown into my stock, it pushes the price up.  You can, however, add onions, carrots, celery, peppercorns etc if you have them to hand.  I cook the chicken carcass in a slow cooker for around 6-8 hours, I usually put it on to cook before I go to work.  When done lift the carcass out and strain the stock.  That's it! 

Now to make your soup, this is so quick and easy.  Transfer your hot stock with the remaining bits of chicken to a large saucepan or wok, add the reserved chicken from the carcass, chilli, soy sauce, S&P and sweetcorn.  If making the soft Chinese dumplings you can add them at this point to cook for about 10 minutes.  If using noodles add them about 4 minutes before serving.  If you want a thickened soup mix the cornflour with a little water to make a paste, add the paste a teaspoon at a time until the soup thickens slightly.  Once it is thickened as you like it, taste and season if needed then serve in warm bowls with your dumplings if you've made them too.