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Mexican Street Corn Soup (Elote Inspired)

A creamy, smoky, and tangy soup inspired by Elote, featuring charred corn, shredded chicken, chili powder, lime, and Cotija cheese.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Comfort Food, Mexican
Calories: 380
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
  • 1 medium jalapeño pepper finely diced (remove seeds for less heat)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1.5 lbs cooked, shredded chicken or rotisserie chicken
  • 4 cups corn kernels fresh, frozen, or fire-roasted, divided
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder or chipotle powder
  • 4 cups chicken broth or stock or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup sour cream or Mexican crema full-fat recommended
  • 0.5 cup Cotija cheese crumbled, plus extra for topping
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice plus wedges for serving
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro chopped, plus extra for topping
  • Salt & Pepper to taste

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • Blender or Immersion Blender (optional)
  • Cutting board and knife

Method
 

  1. Heat oil/butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeño and sauté for 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic, cumin, and chili powder for 1 minute until fragrant.
  2. Add 2 cups of corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes until the corn starts to brown/char slightly for street corn flavor.
  3. Pour in the chicken broth and remaining 2 cups of uncooked corn. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
  4. Optional: Carefully transfer 1/4 to 1/3 of the soup to a blender and purée until smooth. Pour back into the pot and stir to thicken the soup base.
  5. Stir in the shredded chicken. Reduce heat to the lowest setting. Add sour cream/crema, Cotija cheese, and lime juice. Stir until melted (do not boil after adding cream).
  6. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with extra Cotija, cilantro, crema, and a lime wedge.

Notes

To prevent curdling, remove the pot from the heat or keep it on the lowest setting when adding the sour cream/crema. For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth and omit the chicken, adding black beans for heartiness.