This cozy and flavorful Mexican Street Corn Soup takes all the delicious flavors of elote—sweet corn, creamy sauce, chile powder, cotija cheese—and swirls them into a warm and comforting soup form that’s perfect for any time of year. It’s the perfect creamy corn soup for the colder months when you’re craving comfort foods, but it’s just as fitting in summer when fresh sweet summer corn is around.
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Why You’ll Love It
To try this Mexican street corn soup recipe is to fall head-over-heels for the creamy, spicy, zesty magic of elote in soup form!
This one’s for all my fellow flavor-obsessed friends who dream of biting into a cheesy, tangy, chili-dusted ear of Mexican street corn from a roadside street vendor. If you know, you know—those incredible flavors of street corn are unforgettable.
Inspired by the Mexican classic, this delicious soup captures all that elote energy and turns it into a rich, cozy creamy corn soup that comes together in one large pot—no grill required!
We’re talking sweet corn, smoky poblano peppers, sautéed bell pepper and onion, a kiss of chile powder, and the velvety richness of cream cheese all simmered in either chicken broth or vegetable stock—your call.
And the toppings? Iconic. Load up your bowl with cotija cheese, Mexican crema or sour cream, tortilla chips, avocado, or even a drizzle of hot sauce and a few juicy lime wedges.
It’s like the classic elote recipe went full cozy-comfort-mode and jumped into a bowl of the perfect soup.
Want it chunky? Keep it rustic. Craving silky smooth? Hit it with an immersion blender for that dreamy creamy broth situation. However you serve it, this great soup is packed with tons of flavor and just enough heat to warm you right up.
It makes a big batch of soup, stores well in an airtight container, and works beautifully in a slow cooker if you’re planning ahead. Just like this tasty grilled cheese and tomato soup recipe!
You can even swap the cream cheese for coconut milk for a dairy-free twist.
In short: it’s cozy, craveable, and loaded with the delicious flavors of elote in the most slurpable way. You’re gonna love it ya'll!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are the simple ingredients that you'll need for this Mexican street corn soup recipe that's inspired by elote! Don't forget you can get the exact amounts for this delicious soup in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Olive Oil: Adds richness and helps sauté the veggies. You could use another neutral oil like avocado oil if you have it.
- Sweet Onion: I live in the south so Vidalia onions are my go-to. But A white onion or red onions will also work.
- Poblano Pepper: These green chiles are milder than jalapeños while still being totally delicious! You could also use chipotle peppers or jalapeno peppers if you like this flavorful soup to be super spicy.
- Red Bell Pepper: The color doesn't really matter beyond aesthetic. You can use any bell pepper you’ve got.
- Garlic: Fresh is best, but garlic powder works in a pinch. I never recommend the jarred pre-minced variety.
- Spice: I recommend Cumin, Chile Powder, Oregano: The flavor base of any good Mexican food dish.You could also use half a packet of taco seasoning if you needed to.
- Corn: I'm using canned corn for convenience but you could absolutely use fresh corn kernels if it's corn season. If you want to get super fancy with your canned corn, try the mexican corn or even fire-roasted corn.
- Chicken Broth: Sub with vegetable stock, chicken stock, or even water with bouillon.
- Cream Cheese: Adds that dreamy creamy goodness with a slight tang. Swap for a cup of heavy cream if you don't have cream cheese or use coconut milk if dairy-free.
- Lime Juice: Fresh is best but lime juice concentrate works in a pinch to emphasize on those summer flavors.
- Sugar: Balances the spice and acidity. You could leave it out if that fits your personal preferences better.
- Cilantro: Add half of the cilantro during cooking, and save the rest for garnish! I do not recommend subbing it for dried cilantro.
- Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper: Taste and season at the end for the best results.
- Optional Toppings: Mexican cheese like cotija, Monterey Jack cheese, avocado, sour cream, Mexican crema, tortilla strips, lime wedges, pico de gallo, or pink pickled onions.
How to Make Mexican Street Corn Soup
If you're looking to nail the flavors of mexican street corn soup, simply follow these step-by-step instructions!
- SAUTÉ THE VEGGIES: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil, chopped onion, poblano peppers, red pepper, and a big pinch of kosher salt. Cook, stirring often, for 3–5 minutes until slightly softened.
- TOAST THE SPICES: Stir in the cumin, chile powder, and oregano. Let the spices toast for about a minute, until fragrant.
- ADD CORN & BROTH: Dump in your drained sweet corn. If using fresh, cook the corn for a few minutes before moving on. Then pour in the chicken broth (or vegetable broth/stock). Bring to a simmer and let it bubble gently for 15 minutes.
- STIR IN THE CREAM CHEESE: Cut the cream cheese into chunks and stir until fully melted into a silky, creamy broth.
- FINISH STRONG: Add the lime juice, sugar, and chopped cilantro and stir to combine. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
- BLEND (OPTIONAL): Use an immersion blender for a smooth soup or leave it chunky for that corn chowder vibe.
- TOP & SERVE:Ladle into large bowls and top with all your favorites: cotija cheese, Mexican crema, sour cream, tortilla chips, lime wedges, avocado, or even a spoonful of Mexican street corn salad on top!
- SAVE: You can store leftovers of this Mexican street corn soup recipe in an airtight container for lunch the next day (or to freeze for the next time the craving hits). It will last for 4-5 days.
What goes with Mexican Street Corn Soup
I'd pair my Mexican street corn soup recipe with this delicious avocado grilled cheese or this crockpot enchilada casserole.
You could also pair it with this cottage cheese walking taco dip, some cherry tomato salsa, cottage cheese queso, roasted corn pico and fresh chips for a lighter approach.
And for more tasty corn recipes, check these out:
- Honey Tequila Mexican Street Corn with Queso Fresco
- Elote in a Cup Recipe (Esquites - Mexican Street Corn Salad)
- Easy Cool Ranch Corn Dip Recipe (aka Crack Corn Dip)
- Hot Honey Butter Skillet Corn
- Honey Tequila Mexican Street Corn with Queso Fresco
Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Soup (Elote Inspired Recipe)
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Soup
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 large Sweet Onion roughly chopped
- 1 large Poblano Pepper roughly chopped
- 1 large Red Bell Pepper roughly chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Chili powder
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 cans Corn drained and rinsed (or 6 cobs of grilled corn)
- 8 cups Chicken Broth (or veggie broth)
- 1 8 ounce block Cream Cheese
- 1 large Lime juiced
- 1 tsp Sugar
- ¼ cup Cilantro roughly chopped
Optional Toppings
- Pink Pickled Onions
- Cotija Cheese Crumbled
- Cholula Hot Sauce
- Sour cream or Mexican crema
- Fresh avocado
- Tortilla chips
- Lime wedges
- Pico de Gallo
Instructions
- Heat a large soup pot or dutch over medium heat.
- Add olive oil, onion, poblano pepper, red pepper and a hefty pinch of salt and cook down, stirring often for 3-5 minutes.
- Add in cumin, chili powder and oregano and toast the spices for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the corn and the chicken broth and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the cream cheese until melted.
- Finish by adding the sugar, lime juice, and cilantro. Seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish with toppings like cotija cheese, sour cream or Mexican crema, tortilla chips, avocado or even pico de Gallo.
