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Mexican Street Corn Soup

Mexican street corn soup with creamy elote flavors—charred corn, warm spices, and a smooth blended base with cotija and cilantro. Made in one pot for a golden, spoonable soup that tastes like street corn in bowl 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: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn kernels
  • 5 cup corn kernels divided
Aromatics and jalapeño
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeño minced
Broth and dairy
  • 4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbsp butter
Spices
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 pepper to taste
Lime and cheese
  • 1 lime juice of 1
  • 0.5 cup cotija cheese
  • 1 fresh cilantro extra for serving
Serving garnish
  • 1 lime wedges for serving
  • 1 extra cotija cheese for serving
  • 1 chili powder extra for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven
  • 1 Immersion blender
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the corn
  1. Heat a dry hot cast iron skillet over high heat and spread 2 cups corn in an even layer. Char for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots; set aside.
Build the soup base
  1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Sauté onion and jalapeño for 4 minutes until softened, then add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  2. Add the remaining 3 cups corn, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the broth and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, then blend until smooth with an immersion blender.
Finish and season
  1. Stir in the heavy cream and sour cream until fully combined and creamy. Add the reserved charred corn and lime juice.
  2. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with cotija cheese, fresh cilantro, extra chili powder, and lime wedges.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, blend the soup while it’s hot, then return to a low simmer only as needed before adding cream and sour cream to avoid separating. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing is not recommended due to dairy texture. Dietary swap: use half-and-half or coconut cream in place of heavy cream (and ensure sour cream is dairy-free if preferred) for a dairy-free variation.