Mexican Street Corn Soup

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Mexican Street Corn Soup

Do you love elotes and esquites? Mexican street corn soup channels those flavors into a cozy, comforting bowl and makes it a complete meal.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Soups

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mexican street corn soup

Servings:

Author: Carolyn Gratzer Cope

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
2 medium poblano peppers diced small
1 large white onion diced small
2 ribs celery diced small
8 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons flour
4 cups (950 ml) lower-sodium chicken broth
1 ½ pounds (680 grams) Yukon gold potatoes diced small (no need to peel)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
20 ounces (567 grams) frozen corn kernels
1 pint (475 ml) half and half
½ cup (60 grams) grated cotija cheese
2 tablespoons (30 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
2 scallions thinly sliced
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

In a heavy 5-quart pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the poblano, onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about five minutes.
Add flour and stir until vegetables are evenl coated.
Add broth, potatoes, chili powder, salt, and pepper.
Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
Add corn and simmer until warmed through.
Off the heat, stir in half and half, cotija, lime juice, scallions, and cilantro.

Notes

Poblano peppers have a great combination of flavor and very mild heat. If I'm using a ton of them in a recipe that really features them, I'll char them and remove the skins. Here, you don't have to do that. Just seed and dice them as you would bell peppers.
White onion is a little bit sweeter and mellower than yellow. It's okay to substitute yellow if that's what you've got.
A little bit of all-purpose flour thickens the broth just enough. To make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute a 1:1 GF flour blend.
I tend to make this recipe with chicken broth, but to make it vegetarian, simply use a good vegetable broth. Imagine No Chicken lower sodium is my favorite vegetable broth by far.
Chili powder refers to the American-style spice blend, not pure ground chili.
Yukon gold potatoes (or any similar gold-fleshed variety) hold their shape nicely even when they're creamy and tender. They're just the right match for this soup. Just give them a good scrub â€” no need to peel.
Frozen corn is a great choice here and easy to keep on hand. 20 ounces of frozen corn equals 6 ears, or close enough. Fresh corn is, of course, great too.
Cotija cheese is a salty, tangy, Mexican cow's milk cheese. It comes fresh or aged, but the commercially aged version is much easier to find in many parts of the U.S., and that's what you'll use in this recipe.
Freshly squeezed lime juice adds a gentle brightness and tang. Pro tip: if you live far away from where limes are grown, they can be a little one-note sometimes. Using half lime juice and half lemon juice can restore some of the nuance in this and other recipes.
Variations: You can add a pound of cooked, shredded chicken (even rotisserie to keep it simple) or a couple of cans of black beans for a little extra protein. To make it spicier, add a couple of minced jalapeños in the first step.
This recipe makes a big batch that keeps well in the fridge for up to a week, and the flavors will develop as it sits — so feel free to make it in advance. Consider adding the lime juice and cilantro just before serving to amp up the freshness factor, though it's not really necessary.
Keeps, tightly sealed in a nice cold fridge, for up to a week. Reheat without boiling in the microwave or on the stovetop.

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