Creamy Elote Chowder: Mexican Street Corn Soup
If you love Mexican street corn—elote and esquites—as much as I do, then you know how hard it is to let go of those flavors once summer’s over. This creamy elote chowder is adapted from the traditional elote soup, which is lighter and made without cream or potatoes.
That’s why I started making this Soupy Elote, or Mexican street corn soup. It has everything I love about elote—sweet corn, a little chili, a squeeze of lime—but in a warm, comforting bowl that’s perfect for cooler days.
It’s a simple, one-pot recipe that’s just right when you want something cozy without much effort. For me, it’s the best way to hold onto that elote goodness in a hearty soup.
This creamy Mexican elote soup is the recipe I love for busy nights—it is simple to make and requires minimal cleanup.
When I'm in the mood for elote, I love these other corn elote-esque recipes: elote quesadillas, elote pasta salad, and air fryer elote recipe.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This soup can be made on the stovetop, in a slow cooker, or even in an instant pot.
- Ready in less than an hour, with sweet corn, creamy broth, and a bit of spice to warm you up
Ingredients
- Pastured Butter, unsalted
- Onions, finely diced
- Garlic Cloves, minced
- Poblano Pepper, deseeded and diced
- Campari or Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, diced 1/4 inch
- Frozen Sweet Corn or fresh sweet corn – defrosted
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock
- Potatoes, peeled and diced—I love waxy baby potatoes for this recipe, but you can also use a starchier potato like Yukon Gold.
- Heavy Cream or Mexican Crema – for a dairy free version, swap with coconut milk
- Queso Fresco or Queso Fresco
Spice and Seasoning
- Smoked Paprika (optional, for a hint of smokiness)
- Cumin Powder
- Chile Powder
- Bay Leaves
- Salt
- Pepper
Garnish
- Cotija Cheese
- Cilantro
- Lime
Step-by-Step Instructions for Mexican Street Corn Soup
Prep the ingredients, finely dice the onions, tomatoes, and deseed, and dice the poblano peppers.
- First, heat the enameled Dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the butter and diced onions, stirring until softened, for about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the diced deseeded and chopped poblano peppers and stir for 2 minutes. Then, add the diced, or pureed tomatoes, stir for 4 minutes, and add a pinch of salt and spices.
- Then, add the corn kernels to the pot and cook until tender.
- Then, pour in the chicken broth (or veggie broth), bay leaves, and diced potatoes. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to mix well.
- Blend 1½ cups of cooked corn, heavy cream, and milk using an immersion or regular blender. Leave some corn kernels for texture.
- Stir in the blended corn and heavy cream mixture, minced garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings to get the flavors just right.
- Finally, pour the creamy soup into bowls. Top it with cotija cheese or queso fresco, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Optional: Add a dollop of sour cream and crumbled tortilla chips.
See the detailed measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.
Pro Tip
Potatoes: I use waxy baby potatoes for this recipe because they're creamy and firm, and I love how they hold up their consistency. However, you can use Yukon Gold potatoes instead. Yukon Gold potatoes are starchier and creamy. For a starchier potato, use a russet potato.
Corn: This recipe can use frozen or fresh sweet corn.
Storage
If you have any leftover elote chowder (which is rare in my house!), this soup stores really well.
Let it cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
When you’re ready to reheat, just warm it up on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a little extra broth or water if it thickens up.
For longer storage, it freezes well, too! Just make sure to leave some room in the container for expansion. It’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2-3 months.
Equipment You'll Need for This Recipe
Looking to try more soups or explore other soup recipes? Here are a few ideas to inspire your next meal:
Puerto Rican Style Stewed Black Beans
If you make this Mexican street corn soup, I’d love to hear what you think! Drop a comment or give the recipe a rating—hearing from you always makes my day, and I do my best to reply to everyone.
And if you snap a photo, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! I love seeing how your dishes turn out.
Creamy Elote Chowder: Mexican Street Corn Soup
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- First, heat the enameled Dutch oven over moderately low heat. Add the butter and diced onions, stirring until softened, for about 7-10 minutes.
- Add the diced deseeded and chopped poblano peppers and stir for 2 minutes. Then, add the diced, or pureed tomatoes, stir for 4 minutes, and add a pinch of salt and spices.
- Then, add the corn kernels to the pot and cook until tender.
- Then, pour in the chicken broth (or veggie broth), bay leaves, and diced potatoes. Lower the heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, allowing the flavors to mix well.
- Blend 1½ cups of cooked corn, heavy cream, and milk using an immersion or regular blender. Leave some corn kernels for texture.
- Stir in the blended corn and heavy cream mixture, minced garlic, cheese, salt, and pepper.Taste and adjust the seasonings to get the flavors just right.
- Finally, pour the creamy soup into bowls. Top it with cotija cheese or queso fresco, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. Add a dollop of sour cream, optional.
Nutrition
Notes
Corn: This recipe can use frozen or fresh sweet corn.
