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Mexican Street Corn Soup

Mexican street corn soup with an elote-inspired creamy blend and charred corn for smoky-sweet flavor. Simmered until silky, then finished with lime juice and cotija for classic street-corn toppings in a bowl.
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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
  • 5 cup corn kernels divided
  • 2 cup corn kernels charred amount (part of the 5 cups)
  • 3 cup corn kernels blended/simmering amount (part of the 5 cups)
Aromatics and broth
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 jalapeño jalapeño minced
  • 4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Creamy base
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
Seasonings
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 lime juice juice of 1 lime
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese
  • 1 fresh cilantro plus extra for serving
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 lime wedges for serving
  • 1 extra cotija for serving
  • 1 chili powder extra, for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Char the corn and build the base
  1. Char 2 cups of corn in a dry hot cast iron skillet until you see browned, blistered kernels, then set aside.
  2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, then sauté diced onion and minced jalapeño for 4 minutes.
  3. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant and lightly softened.
  4. Add the remaining 3 cups corn, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, then cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices.
  5. Pour in the broth and simmer for 15 minutes until the corn is tender.
Blend, finish, and serve
  1. Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender, then return it to the pot.
  2. Stir in the heavy cream and sour cream, then add the charred corn and lime juice.
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve hot topped with cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, extra chili powder, and lime wedges.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, blend while the soup is hot and work in short pulses with an immersion blender to avoid splashing. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove (don’t boil hard) and add a splash of broth if it thickens. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can separate after thawing. For a dairy-light swap, use half-and-half plus a sour-cream alternative, and add cotija only at serving for best flavor.