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Mexican Street Corn Soup

Mexican street corn soup with charred elote-style corn kernels blended into a creamy, smooth broth. Finished with cotija, cilantro, chili powder, and a squeeze of lime for classic street-corn flavor in spoon form.
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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: use 2 cups for charring and 3 cups for blending.
Aromatics
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced.
  • 1 jalapeño Minced.
Broth
  • 4 cup chicken or vegetable broth Choose chicken for richer flavor or vegetable for vegetarian.
Creamy base
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoon butter
Spices and seasoning
  • 2 teaspoon chili powder Use part in soup and part for serving.
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste Season at the end; add more as needed.
  • 1 lime juice Juice of 1 lime.
Toppings
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese Plus extra for serving.
  • 1 fresh cilantro Extra for serving.
  • 1 lime wedges For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 immersion blender
  • 1 Skillet

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Heat a dry hot skillet over high heat and char 2 cups corn until you see browned spots, then set aside.
  2. Keep the remaining corn separate for blending so the soup stays both creamy and lightly textured.
Build the soup base
  1. Melt the butter in a pot, then sauté the diced onion and minced jalapeño for 4 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn’t brown.
  3. Add the remaining 3 cups corn, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, and cook for 2 minutes to toast the spices.
  4. Pour in the broth and simmer for 15 minutes until the corn is tender.
Blend and finish
  1. Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender.
  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 topped with cotija, cilantro, chili powder, and lime wedges.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, blend while the soup is hot, then let it simmer only briefly after adding dairy so it stays silky. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently (don’t boil hard). Freezing is not recommended because cream-based soups can separate after thawing. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and keep the sour cream.