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Mexican Street Corn Soup

Mexican street corn soup with charred, lightly golden corn, blended until creamy but still textured, then finished with chili-lime flavor and a cotija topping. Grilled-elote vibes in a spoonable soup that’s thick, glossy, and ready for weeknight or cookout bowls.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Total Time 48 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 garlic
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 4 cup corn kernels
  • 4 cup vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 lime juice Juice of 1 lime.
  • 1 salt and black pepper To taste.
Toppings
  • 1 crumbled cotija cheese
  • 0.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 Tajín or chili-lime seasoning
  • 1 lime wedges
  • 1 crispy tortilla strips
  • 1 diced avocado

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the soup base
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat, then add the diced yellow onion and cook 4–5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
  2. Stir in the minced garlic and diced jalapeño, cooking 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Add the corn kernels and cook 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden in spots.
  4. Pour in the broth and stir in the chili powder, smoked paprika, and ground cumin; bring to a simmer and cook 15 minutes until the corn is tender.
Blend and finish creamy
  1. Reserve 1 cup of the soup, then purée the rest with an immersion blender until mostly smooth, leaving some texture.
  2. Stir the reserved cup back in along with the heavy cream and mayonnaise, whisking until creamy and glossy.
  3. Squeeze in the lime juice and season with salt and black pepper to taste, then simmer 2–3 minutes more.
Serve
  1. Ladle the soup into bowls, then top each bowl with crumbled cotija, chopped cilantro, a dusting of Tajín or chili-lime seasoning, tortilla strips, and diced avocado.
  2. Serve hot with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

Pro tip: blend only until “mostly smooth” and keep a little texture so the soup stays spoonable, like elote. Refrigerate in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if it thickens. Freezing isn’t ideal for the creamy dairy, but you can freeze corn-heavy portions if needed and reblend when reheating. For a lighter option, swap heavy cream for half-and-half and use a reduced amount of mayonnaise.