Description
Mexican Street Corn Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish inspired by the classic elote street corn. This hearty soup features fire-roasted corn, tender chicken breasts, and a blend of aromatic spices, all simmered in chicken stock and finished with creamy sour cream, melted Monterey Jack cheese, and a squeeze of lime. Garnished with fresh cilantro and crumbled queso fresco, it delivers a smoky, spicy, and rich taste that’s perfect for any season or occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (12 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 (12 oz.) package fire-roasted frozen corn (or fresh corn)
- 1 (4 oz.) can diced green chiles
- 1 tbsp Tajín seasoning
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp table salt
- ¼ tsp finely ground black pepper
- 4 cups (32 oz.) chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
Creamy Finish and Garnishes
- 2 cups sour cream (full-fat) or Greek yogurt (full-fat)
- ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Juice of one lime
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- ½ cup crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced red onion and jalapeño, cooking until the onions soften, about 3-4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add chicken and seasonings: Add the chicken breasts, fire-roasted corn, and diced green chiles to the pot. Season with Tajín, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Simmer the soup: Pour in the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, allowing the chicken to fully cook and the flavors to meld together.
- Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the pot and shred them into bite-sized pieces using two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
- Make it creamy: Stir in the sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Let the soup simmer on low heat for another 3 minutes until everything is well combined and creamy.
- Garnish and serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crumbled queso fresco before serving.
Notes
- Fire-roasted corn: If you can’t find fire-roasted frozen corn, regular frozen or fresh corn will work, but the fire-roasted flavor adds a nice smoky touch.
- Dairy alternatives: For a lighter version, use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. You can also try a dairy-free alternative if needed.
- Extra heat: For spicier soup, keep the jalapeño seeds or add a dash of hot sauce or crushed red pepper.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Mexican street corn soup, elote soup, fire-roasted corn soup, chicken and corn soup, creamy Mexican soup, spicy corn soup
