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Mexican Street Corn Soup

Mexican street corn soup brings elote flavors into a creamy, charred-corn bowl. Blend the broth-corn base until smooth, then stir in charred kernels for juicy texture and top with cotija, cilantro, and lime.
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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: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn
  • 2 cup corn kernels Charred portion for topping and texture
  • 3 cup corn kernels Remaining portion for the blended base
Aromatics
  • 1 onion
  • 4 clove garlic Minced
  • 1 jalapeño Minced
Broth & dairy
  • 4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
Spices & lime
  • 2 tsp chili powder Use part for soup and part for serving
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 lime juice Juice of 1 lime
Toppings
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese Plus extra for serving
  • 0.25 fresh cilantro Extra for serving
  • 1 lime wedges For serving
  • 1 salt and pepper To taste

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 immersion blender

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Heat a dry hot skillet and char 2 cups of corn until you see browned, blistered spots, then set it aside.
Build the soup base
  1. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven, then sauté the onion and jalapeño for 4 minutes until softened.
  2. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Add the remaining 3 cups corn, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, then cook for 2 minutes to coat the kernels.
  4. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Blend and finish
  1. Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender, then return it to a simmer if needed.
  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 cheese, cilantro, chili powder, and lime wedges.

Notes

For best elote-style flavor, fully char the 2 cups corn in the dry skillet so it brings smoky, browned edges to the soup. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove to avoid the cream breaking. Freezing is not recommended because dairy soups can separate after thawing. For a dairy-free swap, use coconut cream and omit the sour cream and cotija (add extra chili powder and lime to keep the flavor punch).