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Mexican Street Corn Soup Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 86 reviews

This Mexican Street Corn Soup is a creamy, flavorful dish inspired by traditional elote flavors. It features fresh corn kernels sautéed with onions, garlic, and jalapeño, simmered in a spiced broth, then blended to create a smooth yet textured soup. Finished with creamy cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and a chili powder garnish, it’s served with crunchy tortilla strips or chips, offering an authentic and comforting taste of Mexican street food in soup form.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

  • 4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For Creaminess and Garnish

  • 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Chili powder, for garnish
  • Tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

  1. Sauté the Aromatics: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and jalapeño, cooking for another 2 minutes until fragrant. This step builds the flavorful base of the soup.
  2. Add Corn & Spices: Stir in the corn kernels, ensuring they are well coated with the sautéed aromatics. Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well so the spices are evenly distributed and flavors meld.
  3. Simmer the Soup: Pour chicken or vegetable broth into the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 15 minutes, allowing the corn to soften and the spices to fully infuse the broth.
  4. Blend the Soup: Using an immersion blender, partially blend the soup directly in the pot to create a creamy texture while keeping some corn pieces intact for texture. Alternatively, blend half the soup in a blender until smooth and then return it to the pot. Stir to combine thoroughly.
  5. Add Cream & Cheese: Stir in the heavy cream or half-and-half, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped fresh cilantro, and the juice of one lime. Heat the soup gently over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to melt the cheese and blend all the flavors.
  6. Serve & Garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Sprinkle with chili powder and top generously with crunchy tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips. Serve immediately to enjoy its rich, smoky, tangy flavors and satisfying textures.

Notes

  • For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
  • Adjust the jalapeño quantity according to your preferred spice level.
  • If you don’t have cotija cheese, feta is a good substitute.
  • The soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stove.
  • For a thicker soup, reduce broth quantity or simmer longer to concentrate flavors.
  • Leftover soup can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight before reheating.

Keywords: Mexican street corn soup, elote soup, creamy corn soup, cotija cheese soup, easy Mexican soup recipe

Find it online: https://servedbynora.com/mexican-street-corn-soup-recipe/