Description
This Mexican Street Corn Soup is a creamy, flavorful twist on the classic elote street corn, perfect for cozy meals. Made with fresh or frozen corn, a blend of spices, and topped with crumbled cotija cheese and fresh cilantro, this soup brings a delicious fiesta to your bowl. It’s easy to prepare on the stovetop and can be made vegetarian or gluten-free, making it ideal for various dietary preferences.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 4 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Optional Toppings
- Tortilla strips
- Hot sauce
- Additional cotija cheese
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the finely chopped onion, minced garlic, and diced jalapeño, and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Cook Corn: Stir in the corn kernels and cook for another 3 minutes to slightly caramelize the corn and develop flavor.
- Add Broth and Spices: Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth, then add chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer Soup: Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer gently for 10 minutes to meld the flavors together.
- Blend Soup: Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup directly in the pot, leaving some texture. Alternatively, transfer half of the soup to a blender, puree until smooth, and return it to the pot.
- Add Creams and Lime: Stir in the heavy cream, sour cream, and freshly squeezed lime juice to add richness and tang. Simmer for another 5 minutes until heated through.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro, and optional toppings like tortilla strips or hot sauce for extra flavor and crunch.
Notes
- For a spicier version, leave the seeds in the jalapeño or add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- This soup pairs wonderfully with crusty bread or tortilla chips for dipping.
- Use vegetable broth to make the soup vegetarian-friendly.
- Frozen corn works well if fresh corn is out of season.
- Adjust salt and lime juice to taste after cooking for best flavor balance.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 580mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
