Mexican Street Corn Soup

This Mexican Street Corn Soup is built with fire-roasted corn, layered spices and a bright lime finish. Simple, tested techniques help you nail the texture and flavor on the first try.

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Mexican Street Corn Soup That Actually Tastes Like Elote

If you love our Elote Salad, this is the soup version that delivers all those same flavors in a warm, comforting format. Creamy, smoky, tangy, a little spicy, and packed with real corn texture.

This Mexican Street Corn Soup focuses on what makes elote so good in the first place. Charred corn flavor, bright lime, salty cheese, and just enough creaminess to really hit the spot without being too rich.

It’s totally doable on a weeknight, since frozen fire-roasted corn is doing most of the heavy lifting, and the whole thing comes together in under an hour!

Mexican Corn Soup Ingredients

A full recipe card, including exact ingredient amounts, appears at the bottom of this post.

• butter – helps soften the onion and bloom the spices so they taste as fragrant as they can.
• onion and garlic – the base aromatics. Cook until the onion is soft and slightly translucent, not browned. You want sweetness, not caramelization, for this recipe.
• chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper – this spice combination will build that classic street corn flavor. The smoked paprika works to mimic grilled corn.
• fire-roasted corn – we tested this Mexican corn soup with regular frozen corn, and it was good. But fire-roasted corn adds depth and a slightly charred flavor that makes this taste more like authentic elote.
• diced green chiles – adds mild heat without overpowering the soup.
• chicken stock – the liquid for the soup. Vegetable broth or stock works too, but chicken stock gives it more flavor.
• queso fresco – a mild, crumbly, slightly salty Mexican cheese that is used to make the fresh garnish. Cotija cheese works if that is what you have. Feta also works in a pinch.
• cilantro – adds freshness and keeps the soup from feeling too heavy.
• lime zest and juice – zest is added to the fresh salad topping, and juice goes into the soup at the end for brightness. Adding it too soon dulls the flavor, so wait until the end!
• half and half and sour cream – this combo gives creaminess without making the soup overly rich. Sour cream also adds a subtle tang that mimics traditional elote topping.
• Tajin – this Mexican seasoning blend made from chiles, lime and salt deserves a spot in your pantry if you love elote flavors. It’s the best topping for this creamy corn soup!
• pickled or fresh jalapeno pepper – an optional garnish to spice things up a bit. We like to make our own with this Pickled Jalapeno Recipe.

How To Make This Mexican Street Corn Soup Recipe

1. SAUTÉ. Cook the onion in butter until softened and translucent, then add the garlic and spices and cook until fragrant. Stir in the corn and green chiles and cook 4 minutes, then scoop out 1 cup of this mixture and set aside.

2. SIMMER AND BLEND. Add the chicken stock, heat to boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and blend about half of it using an immersion blender. You want it partially smooth but still chunky.

3. MIX GARNISH. Stir the queso fresco, cilantro and lime zest into the reserved corn mixture. This becomes your elote-style topping.

4. FINISH. Whisk the half and half and sour cream into the soup. Warm gently over medium-low heat, then stir in lime juice.

5. SERVE. Ladle the elote corn soup into bowls and top with the corn garnish, extra cheese, cilantro, Tajín, lime wedges and pickled jalapeños.

Make Ahead And Storage

• Make Ahead: Prepare the elote soup recipe as directed, but hold off on adding lime juice until just before serving. Refrigerate uncovered until fully chilled, then cover and store up to 3 days.
• Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the fridge uncovered for a few hours until they are fully chilled, then cover them with the lid and keep in the refrigerator up to 3 days.  
• Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of stock or milk to loosen the texture and stir in fresh lime juice before serving.
• Freeze: Not recommended. The dairy can separate and become grainy after thawing, affecting the texture.

Elote Soup Recipe FAQ