Description
This Mexican Street Corn Soup is a creamy, flavorful soup that captures the essence of elote (Mexican street corn) in a warm, comforting bowl. It’s perfect for a chilly evening and easy to customize to your liking.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 ears of corn, shucked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk (or heavy cream for extra richness)
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Lime wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the corn: If grilling, grill the corn over medium heat, turning occasionally, until kernels are slightly charred (about 10-12 minutes). Alternatively, you can roast the corn in a 400°F (200°C) oven for about 20 minutes, turning halfway through. Once cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cobs.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and jalapeño (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Add corn and broth: Add the corn kernels, vegetable broth, and smoked paprika to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Blend the soup: Carefully transfer the soup to a blender (in batches if necessary) and blend until smooth and creamy. Return the blended soup to the pot.
- Add dairy and cheese: Stir in the milk (or heavy cream) and cotija cheese. Heat through, but do not boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with extra cotija cheese, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve hot.
Notes
- For a spicier soup, leave some seeds in the jalapeño.
- If you don’t have cotija cheese, you can substitute with feta or queso fresco.
- To make this soup vegan, use plant-based milk and omit the cotija cheese, or substitute with a vegan cheese alternative.
- For extra flavor, char the corn cobs and simmer them in the broth for added depth, then remove before blending.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 8g
