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Mexican Street Corn soup topped with lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream and heavy cream in a bowl
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Mexican Street Corn Soup

This Mexican Street Corn Soup is rich, creamy, and loaded with sweet corn, smoky poblano, and tender Yukon Gold potatoes. Finished with lime, cotija, crema, and Tajín, it brings all the bold flavors of Mexican street corn to one cozy, satisfying bowl.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword mexican soup recipes, street corn recipes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 486kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

Soup Base

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 poblano pepper diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups Yukon gold potatoes diced small
  • 4 cups corn, combination of fire-roasted and sweet corn
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

Finish and Toppings

  • 1/2 cup cotija cheese crumbled
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1/4 cup Mexican crema or sour cream for drizzle
  • 1/4 cup roasted corn kernels
  • Tajín or chili-lime seasoning to taste
  • lime wedges for serving
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil (1 tablespoon) and butter (3 tablespoons) in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion (1) and poblano (1) and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic (3 cloves) and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Add the seasonings: Stir in the chili powder (2 1/2 teaspoons), smoked paprika (1 1/2 teaspoons), salt (1 1/2 teaspoons), and black pepper (1/4 teaspoon). Sprinkle in the flour (2 tablespoons) and cook, stirring constantly, for about 1 minute.
  • Simmer the potatoes: Gradually stir in the chicken broth (4 cups). Add the potatoes (2 cups), bring to a simmer, and cook for 10–12 minutes, or until tender.
  • Add the corn: Stir in the corn (4 cups) and simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Blend the soup: Using an immersion blender, blend about one-third of the soup, leaving plenty of corn and potato pieces intact. Alternatively, transfer a portion to a blender, blend, and return it to the pot.
  • Make it creamy: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream (1 cup) and sour cream (1/2 cup) until fully incorporated. Do not allow the soup to boil.
  • Finish with lime: Stir in the lime juice (2 tablespoons) and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  • Garnish and serve: Ladle into bowls and top with cotija, cilantro, crema, roasted corn, and Tajín. Serve with lime wedges.

Notes

  1. Char the corn: Fire-roasted corn gives the soup its smoky street-corn flavor. If you can’t find it, char half the corn in a dry skillet and reserve some for topping.
  2. Don’t over-blend: Blend only about one-third of the soup. This thickens the broth while keeping plenty of corn and potato pieces intact.
  3. Keep the heat low: Once you add the heavy cream and sour cream, don’t let the soup boil or the dairy may separate.
  4. Finish with lime: Add the lime juice at the end so its fresh acidity cuts through the rich, creamy broth.
  5. Don’t skimp on the toppings: Cotija, crema, roasted corn, lime, and Tajín are what really give this creamy corn soup its Mexican street corn personality.
  6. Adjust the consistency: This soup thickens as it sits. Stir in a splash of chicken broth when reheating if you’d like to loosen it up.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 486kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 88mg | Sodium: 1088mg | Potassium: 800mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1643IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 159mg | Iron: 2mg