This Mexican Street Corn Soup recipe has all the flavors of Mexican street corn in soup form. This creamy corn soup is flavored with chile powder, poblano peppers and cotija cheese.
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The first time I tried Mexican Street Corn, or elotes, I was instantly hooked!
It’s grilled corn that’s slathered in a tangy cream sauce and sprinkled with chili powder, cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Really, it’s hard for me to eat corn on the cob any other way now.
I even make my carrots street corn style now. I also make these yummy Mexican Street Corn Chicken Tacos and Mexican Street Corn Salad.
I just can’t get enough of those yummy street corn flavors!
So, in an effort to get even more Mexican Street Corn into my life I created this Mexican Corn Soup. It’s a bit like a corn chowder, but it’s spiced up with chile powder, poblano peppers and given some tang with a bit of lime juice.
Reader
Love
We’ve made this soup twice. The second time was for a group of about 12 people and everyone loved it. Thanks for the great recipe!
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Ingredients needed
- Onion + Garlic
- Celery
- Poblano Pepper
- Butter
- Chile Powder + Oregano
- Chicken Stock – Or swap in vegetable stock or homemade bone broth
- Potatoes – I prefer to use Yukon gold potatoes
- Frozen Corn – Or you can use fresh corn kernels
- Heavy Cream + Cotija Cheese
- Salt, Pepper, Sugar
- Cilantro
- Mexican Crema or Sour Cream
- Lime
How to make it
- Cook the Aromatics: In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery, poblano, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic, chile powder, and oregano, and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Simmer the Potatoes: Add the chicken stock, and potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add the Corn: Stir in the corn, cream and sugar. Cook for five minutes, until warmed through.
- Puree the Soup: Transfer 1½ cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Stir the puréed soup back into the pot of remaining soup. Note: This is optional, but I love the creamy, chowder-like texture that it gives the soup.
- Final Seasonings: Add cotija cheese, cilantro, and lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish: Top with additional cilantro, cotija, chile powder and crema. Serve with lime wedges.
Garnishes
- Mexican crema or sour cream (or try this cilantro lime crema)
- Lime wedges
- Cotija
- Cilantro
- Minced jalapeno
FAQs
As the recipe is written, this corn soup recipe isn’t very spicy. If you would like a spicier soup, you can add in a jalapeno pepper along with the poblano pepper.
This soup recipe is vegetarian as long as you swap out the chicken stock for vegetable broth.
Yes, you can use fresh corn in this recipe and it will be delicious! You’ll need about 6 cups fresh shucked corn from about 10 ears of corn.
How to make ahead and store
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. This soup also freezes well, for up to three months.
Erin’s wine pairings
- Try a creamy, fruit forward Viognier or unoaked or moderately oaked Chardonnay. Fruit-forward, with a bit of body to them, they stand up nicely to the spices in this creamy soup.
More street corn inspired recipes
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Wondering what to serve with it? Try one of these 25+ Side Dishes for Corn Chowder. Be sure to check out these 25+ Mexican Desserts too!
Full Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion (finely chopped (1½ cups))
- 1 stalk celery (finely chopped (½ cup))
- 1 medium poblano pepper (seeded, stemmed, and finely chopped (½ cup))
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tablespoon chile powder (plus more for topping)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 medium yukon gold potatoes (about 1lb., peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces)
- 2 12-ounce bags frozen corn (or about 6 cups fresh shucked corn)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ cups cotija cheese (crumbled )
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- Kosher salt and pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cups cilantro (minced, plus more to garnish)
- ½ cups Mexican crema or sour cream (to garnish)
- Lime wedges (for serving)
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the 4 Tablespoons butter. Add the 1 medium yellow onion, 1 stalk celery, 1 medium poblano pepper, and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens, about 7-8 minutes.
- Add the 4 cloves garlic, 1 Tablespoon chile powder, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano, and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the 4 cups chicken stock and 3 medium yukon gold potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the2 12-ounce bags frozen corn, 1 cup heavy cream and 2 teaspoons sugar. Cook for five minutes, until warmed through.
- Transfer 1½ cups of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Stir the puréed soup back into the pot of remaining soup.
- Add ½ cups cotija cheese, ¼ cups cilantro, and 1 Tablespoon lime juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve garnished with additional cilantro, cotija, chile powder and crema. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. This soup also freezes well, for up to three months.
Nutrition
This elote corn soup post was originally published in 2021. It was updated in 2023 to add new information. The Mexican corn soup recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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