Mexican Street Corn Soup

Mexican Street Corn Soup is creamy, zesty, and loaded with the same bold flavors you’d find in classic elote. Sweet corn pairs with smoky spices, fresh lime, and Cotija cheese for a flavor-packed bowl. It’s comfort food with a fun street food twist.

Love More Soup Recipes? Try My Butternut Squash Sausage Tortellini Soup or this Butternut Squash Lasagna Soup with Kale and Mozzarella next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

The smoky, charred flavor gives this soup an irresistible twist, while the creamy-tangy combo makes it comforting and crowd-pleasing every time. Best of all, it’s surprisingly easy to whip up right in your own kitchen.

Print

Ingredient List

For the Soup Base:

• ¼ cup olive or vegetable oil
• 6 cups fresh corn kernels (from 8–10 shucked cobs) – save those stripped cobs!
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder (adjust to your spice preference)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

For the Creamy Finish:

• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup dry-aged Cotija cheese, grated (plus extra for garnish)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (divided)

Friendly Substitution Notes: Can’t find Cotija? Just use Parmesan – works fine. Going vegetarian? Swap chicken broth for veggie broth. No ancho chili powder? Regular chili powder’s okay, just use less since it’s spicier.

Why These Ingredients Work

Okay, real talk – I used to think corn soup was boring until I figured out the secret is charring those kernels first. Like actually letting them get brown and crispy in some spots. That’s what gives you that smoky flavor instead of just sweet corn mush.

The Cotija cheese is key here because it’s salty and doesn’t get all gooey when you melt it – it stays kind of crumbly and adds this nutty taste. And those corn cobs I make you save? Yeah, they’re basically free flavor bombs. My mom always threw them away until I showed her this trick.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Big pot or Dutch oven – you need room to char the corn properly
• Blender or food processor
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Fine grater for the lime zest
• Ladle
• Small bowl for mixing garnish

How To Make Mexican Street Corn Soup

Create the Flavor Base

Get your oil hot – like really shimmering hot. Dump in the corn, onion, chili powder, salt and pepper. Don’t baby it – let it sit and get those brown spots on the corn. Stir it around every couple minutes for about 8-10 minutes until your kitchen smells incredible and the onions look soft.

Add the Aromatics

Throw in the garlic and cook for maybe a minute until you can really smell it. Now here’s the part that sounds weird but trust me – scoop out about 1½ cups of this corn mixture and put it in a bowl. You’ll use it later for topping and it’s going to make your soup look restaurant-fancy.

Build the Broth

Pour in your broth and toss those naked corn cobs right into the pot. Scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom because that’s pure flavor right there. Bring it to a boil, then turn it down and let it bubble away for 20 minutes. Those cobs are doing serious work extracting corn flavor.

Discard and Blend

Fish out those corn cobs and toss them. Stir in the sour cream and cheese, then transfer everything to your blender. Work in batches if you need to – don’t overfill because hot soup will explode everywhere (learned this the messy way).

Final Assembly

Pour the smooth soup back into your pot. Add about ¾ cup of that reserved corn mixture you set aside, the lime juice, and half the cilantro. Taste it and add more salt, pepper, or chili powder if needed.

Create the Perfect Garnish

Mix the leftover corn with lime zest and the rest of the cilantro in a small bowl. This is your fancy finishing touch that makes people think you actually know what you’re doing in the kitchen.

You Must Know

Don’t skip charring the corn – those burned spots aren’t mistakes, they’re the whole point. If your corn looks perfect and yellow, you’re doing it wrong. Also, save those stripped cobs because throwing them away is like tossing liquid gold down the drain.

Personal Secret: I always make extra charred corn because my husband steals it straight from the pan before I can even finish cooking. Also, if your corn doesn’t have those dark spots, keep cooking – that’s where all the flavor lives.

Critical Tip: When you blend hot soup, leave the center part of the blender lid slightly open and cover with a towel. Otherwise the steam builds up and you’ll redecorate your ceiling with soup. Don’t ask how I know this.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

• Save yourself time: Char the corn and chop everything the night before – this soup comes together super fast when you’re organized
• Too thick? Add more broth. Too thin? Let it simmer with the lid off for a few minutes
• Want it richer? I sometimes throw in a pat of butter when I add the garlic – my secret weapon
• Don’t mess this up: Never boil the soup after adding sour cream or it’ll curdle and look gross

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

Want it spicy? Throw in a diced jalapeño with the onions Love smoke? Add some smoked paprika Bacon person? Crispy bacon bits on top are ridiculous Going vegan? Use coconut cream instead of sour cream, nutritional yeast instead of cheese Like red pepper? Blend in a roasted red pepper for color and sweetness

Make-Ahead Options

This soup is actually better the next day – all the flavors get to hang out and become friends. I make a double batch on Sunday and we eat it all week. Just don’t add the lime juice and fresh garnishes until you’re ready to serve or everything gets soggy.

You can freeze the base soup (before adding sour cream and cheese) for up to 3 months. When you reheat it, that’s when you stir in the creamy stuff. Works perfectly and tastes just as good.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

The whole point of this soup is building up flavor layers – first the charring, then the garlic, then letting those cobs simmer. Don’t rush the charring part because that’s what makes it taste like actual street corn instead of just corn soup.

If you’re using frozen corn because that’s what you have, just make sure you thaw it completely and pat it dry with paper towels first. Otherwise it won’t char properly and you’ll miss out on the good stuff.

Serving Suggestions

I usually just serve this with some tortilla chips for dipping because my family gets mad if there’s no crunch involved. Sometimes I’ll make grilled cheese sandwiches on the side – not Mexican at all but who cares, it tastes amazing.

For toppings, go wild – more cheese, hot sauce, a dollop of Greek yogurt if you’re out of sour cream. My sister-in-law puts everything bagel seasoning on hers which sounds weird but is actually pretty good.

I hope this ends up in your regular dinner rotation like it has mine! There’s something about turning street food into soup that just makes sense. Sending you warm bowls and happy families.

How to Store Your Mexican Street Corn Soup

Fridge: Keeps covered for 4 days, tastes even better the next day Freezer: Freeze the base without sour cream and cheese for 3 months
Reheating: Warm it up slow on the stove, add some broth if it got thick

Allergy Information

Has dairy: Sour cream and cheese Gluten-free: Yeah, if you use gluten-free broth No dairy? Try coconut cream and nutritional yeast instead Nut-free: Yep, no nuts in here

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

What is in Mexican street corn soup?

It’s got charred corn, onions, garlic, broth, sour cream, Cotija cheese, lime, and chili powder. Basically all the elote flavors in soup form.

Why do they call it Mexican street corn?

Because vendors sell it from carts on street corners all over Mexico. It’s called “elote” there – just corn on a stick with all the good stuff on top.

What is the sauce on Mexican street corn?

Usually mayo mixed with sour cream or Mexican crema, then covered in cheese, chili powder, and lime. Some places use just mayo, some use just crema.

Is Mexican street corn made with mayonnaise?

Traditional elote uses mayo as the base, but lots of places mix mayo with crema. In my soup I skip the mayo and just use sour cream – easier and tastes just as good.

Can I use frozen corn?

Sure! Just thaw it and pat it dry so it’ll char right.

No Cotija cheese at my store?

Parmesan works, so does feta. Different taste but still good.

Is this spicy?

Nah, it’s pretty mild. Start with the recipe amount and add more if you want heat.

Why save the corn cobs?

They’re like flavor sponges – all that corn taste comes out when you simmer them.

💬 Made this soup? Tell me how it went! I love hearing what you changed up or if your kids actually ate it. Post a pic if you want – it makes my day seeing people try my recipes!