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Mexican Street Corn Soup

Mexican street corn soup with charred corn and creamy blended broth. Inspired by elote flavors, this soup is made with heavy cream, cotija, chili powder, cumin, and lime for a rich, spoonable texture.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican-American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn kernels
  • 5 cup corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned) divided; char 2 cups and use the rest to blend
Onion
  • 1 onion diced
Garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
Jalapeño
  • 1 jalapeño minced
Broth
  • 4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Heavy cream
  • 1 cup heavy cream
Sour cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Butter
  • 2 tbsp butter
Chili powder
  • 2 tsp chili powder plus extra for serving
Cumin
  • 1 tsp cumin
Smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
Lime juice
  • 1 lime juice of 1 lime; plus wedges for serving
Cotija cheese
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese plus extra for serving
Fresh cilantro
  • 1 fresh cilantro plus extra for serving
Salt and pepper
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper to taste

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Heat a dry hot cast iron skillet over high heat and char 2 cups of corn. Cook until you see blistered, browned spots, then set the charred corn aside.
Build the soup base
  1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and minced jalapeño and sauté for 4 minutes, until softened.
  2. Add the minced garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute. Stir constantly to avoid browning.
  3. Add the remaining 3 cups corn, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring so the spices toast lightly.
  4. Pour in the broth and bring it to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes to soften the corn further.
Blend and finish
  1. Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender. Blend until no large corn pieces remain.
  2. Stir in the heavy cream and sour cream. Mix until fully combined.
  3. Add the charred corn and lime juice to the pot. Warm just until heated through, then taste.
  4. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately. Top each bowl with cotija, cilantro, an extra pinch of chili powder, and lime wedges.

Notes

Pro tip: blend the soup while it’s hot for the smoothest texture, then add the charred corn at the end to keep those blistered bits. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently over low heat, stirring to prevent separation. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can break after thawing. For a lighter version, swap the heavy cream for half-and-half and use reduced-fat sour cream.