There are two classic versions of Mexican street corn. The first is called esquites. Think of it as a Mexican Street Corn Salad served in a bowl or cup. Elote is the second version, and it can be served both on the cob or off the cob. Having been a fan of this street food, I love coming up with different ways to enjoy it, like this Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad, Elote Dip, or this Air Fryer Mexican Corn, which is great if you’re short on time.
The perfect balance of sweet and savory, this Mexican sweet corn soup (aka Sopa de Elote) is the soup form of this authentic Mexican recipe. It’s also a lovely way to enjoy the summer flavors of corn to make the colder months more enjoyable.
Ingredients Mexican Street Corn Soup
The ingredients list for this elote soup recipe has two folds:
- For The soup base, gather:
- Corn Stock, Vegetable broth or homemade chicken stock
- Canned corn
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Jalapenos
- Garlic cloves
- Onion
- Butter or olive oil
- Cilantro
- Lime juice
- You will need also need chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and pepper for the spices.
- Optional toppings: You’re welcome to top your street corn soup with any of your favorite toppings. Some of my favorites are sour cream (or Mexican crema), cubed avocado, Mexican Red Pickled Onions, tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, fresh lime juice, and optional lime zest.
Substitutions and Optional Add-Ins
What’s great about this Mexican corn soup recipe is that there are accommodations for all different dietary restrictions. Everyone will love this comforting meal, whether you are following a vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free diet.
- Corn: No need to wait for corn season because all types of corn can work! Canned, frozen, or fresh corn kernels work perfectly. If you prefer to make this Mexican soup with corn on the cob, you will need 6-8 ears. First, cut the corn off the cob and then saute it with the onion and peppers first to give it flavor. You can also use leftover grilled corn, which would give the recipe a nice smoky flavor.
- Peppers: Poblano peppers are a good choice if you want something that still has a kick but is less spicy than jalapenos. If you aren’t a fan of spice, you can also use a bell pepper or a can of green chiles.
- Dairy-free: For those with an allergy or aversion to dairy, use olive oil instead of butter.
- Cooking liquid: This recipe can be made vegetarian or vegan by using vegetable stock instead of chicken.
- Protein: Feel free to add shredded chicken for protein. You can make this yourself, but if you’re short on time, a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store will work well and even add a nice roasted flavor!
- Cream cheese & heavy cream: For a more decadent, traditional Mexican corn soup, use 2 ounces of cream cheese or ½ to 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. If you go in that route, your soup will have the texture of a hearty chowder. For a dairy-free alternative, you can add a can of full-fat coconut milk that will yield a slightly sweet and creamy Mexican corn soup.
How to Make Mexican Corn Soup
Follow these simple steps to make this one-pot Mexican creamed corn soup with ease:
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat: Start by heating the butter (or olive oil). Add chili powder and ground cumin and cook until fragrant for about 1 minute.
- Saute the vegetables: Add the onion and jalapeno, and stir frequently for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the rest: Add in the corn, cubed potatoes, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover it up: Put the lid on and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Insert a knife into one of the cubes of potato to check doneness.
- Puree the liquid: Off the heat and carefully remove about 3 cups of the soup into a large heat-proof bowl. Using an immersion blender, purée until it is smooth. This is a crucial step for getting that creamy texture. Pour the pureed soup back into the pot, turn the heat to medium, and bring it to a quick boil.
- Finish it up: Turn the heat off, stir in the chopped cilantro (optional), and add in lime zest and juice. Season to taste.
- Serve it up: Ladle the Mexican corn soup into wide soup bowls. Top with your favorite toppings and serve with lime wedges on the side.
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat?
The good thing about this hearty soup is that it gets better as it sits. So, go ahead and make a batch! Enjoy some right away, or freeze some for later. Here is how I do it:
- To store leftovers: Let soup cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing instructions: This soup is great for making ahead of time because it can last in the freezer for up to 2 months in an airtight container. You can even portion it out in single servings for quick meals.
- To reheat: Remove from the freezer and let it thaw overnight in the fridge. Heat on the stovetop until warm or in the microwave at one-minute intervals. Make sure to stir in between intervals to heat evenly. If it’s too thick, you can add a little water or broth to loosen it up.
What to Serve It With?
Soups are great when served as a main course but are just as good when served with other things. Here are some ideas you’ll be sure to love.
- With cornbread: Soups are for dipping! This sweet, slightly spicy Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread is the ultimate pairing for your elote corn chowder. Make a batch and pop them in the oven while you have the soup cooking on the stove. My Savory Cornbread Muffins are another delicious dipping option.
- Appetizer or with the main course: Who doesn’t love soup as the first course of a meal? Continue with the Mexican theme and serve your Mexican corn soup with Flank Steak Tacos or Beef Brisket Tacos.
Expert Tips
- Mexican Sweet Corn Chowder vs. Corn Soup: Chowder is thicker and more creamy, whereas soup tends to have a lighter, more brothy texture. For this elote corn soup, I pureed a portion of the soup to make it creamer. Alternatively, if you are after more of a corn chowder consistency, you can puree more soup or add 1 cup of heavy cream and two ounces of cream cheese to the soup.
- Use a blender or food processor: If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a food processor or a regular blender to puree the soup. Though be very careful as it is hot.
FAQs
Mexican Street Corn, also known as elote, is a popular street food. The authentic recipe spreads roasted or grilled corn on the cob with a mixture made of mayonnaise, sour cream, chili, cotija cheese, lime juice and zest, and fresh cilantro. It can also be served in a cup by mixing the shucked corn with the mayo-sour cream mixture.
This Mexican corn soup recipe is made of onions, jalapeno (or poblano) peppers, potatoes, corn kernels, vegetable broth (or chicken broth), chili powder, fresh lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
They are similar with slight differences. Mexican corn chowder has spices and toppings that give it that distinct Mexican flavor, whereas summer corn chowder uses fresh summer herbs and vegetables.
Similar Soup Recipes You Might Also Like
- Vegetarian Chili with Quinoa
- Chili with Chocolate
- Healthy White Bean Chicken Chili
- Whole Foods Pumpkin Chili
If you try this Mexican Street Corn Soup recipe or any other recipe on Foolproof Living, please take a minute to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. And if you took some pictures, be sure to share them on Instagram using #foolproofeats so I can share them on my stories.
Mexican Street Corn Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, or olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chili powder , or ancho chili powder – plus more for sprinkling on the soup
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 medium size onion, chopped–1 cup
- 2 large jalapenos, chopped– ½ cup or 1 poblano pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes – ¾ lbs.
- 2 cans corn*, 15.5 oz each, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth , or chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon lime zest, optional
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, preferably freshly squeezed
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped–optional
Optional Toppings:
- 4 tablespoons sour cream
- 1 cubed avocado, ripe
- 4 tablespoons Mexican Red Pickled Onions
- ½ cup Tortilla chips
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Cook the spices: Start by heating butter in a large pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add chili powder and ground cumin and cook until fragrant for about 1 minute.
- Saute the aromatics: Add onion and jalapeno and saute, frequently stirring, until vegetables are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Add the potatoes, corn, and broth: Toss the cubed potatoes, corn, and vegetable broth into the pot and season with salt and black pepper.
- Simmer: Cover and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked. Insert a knife into a potato to check doneness. You should be able to cut through them with ease.
- Puree: Off the heat and carefully remove about 3 cups of the liquid base (both the liquid and veggies) into a large heat-proof bowl. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth.
- Bring back to a boil: Pour the liquid back into the pot. Turn the heat to medium and bring it to a quick boil.
- Stir in additional ingredients: Turn off the heat and stir in cilantro (optional), lime zest, and fresh lime juice. Give it a taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
- Serve: Ladle the Mexican corn soup into bowls. Finish it off with your favorite toppings and a sprinkle of chile powder. Serve with lime wedges on the side, and dig in!
Video
Notes
- Corn: Canned, frozen, or fresh corn kernels work perfectly. If you prefer to make this Mexican soup with corn on the cob, you will need 6-8 fresh ears of corn. First, cut the corn off the cob and then saute it with the onion and peppers to give it flavor.
- Stock: If you are making this soup during the summer months when corn is in season, I highly recommend making a quick Corn Stock using the corn cobs and using it in the soup. This soup is truly a delight when made with corn stock.
- Chowder vs. soup: The recipe, as written, has more of a soup consistency. However, if you are after a thicker, chowder-like soup, I recommend pureeing more soup, perhaps 4-5 cups instead of 3 cups. Alternatively, you can add a cup of heavy cream and 2 ounces of cream cheese right when you add the pureed soup. Just be sure to bring it to a boil so the cream cheese will melt and the soup will thicken.
- To store leftovers: After it comes to room temperature, store the leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing instructions: This soup is great for making ahead of time because it can last in the freezer for up to 2 months in an airtight container. You can even portion it out in single servings for quick meals.
- To reheat: Remove from the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Heat on the stovetop until warm or in the microwave at one-minute intervals. Be sure to stir in between intervals to heat evenly. If it’s too thick, add a splash of water or vegetable broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was delicious, I made my own chicken broth, added shredded chicken and adjusted the spices, will make it again for sure.
This is music to my ears Mary. Thanks for coming by and taking the time to leave a review about your experience.
I truly appreciate it.