Fresh Corn Soup with Mexican Flair: Perfect Summer Meal
Summer means delicious, sweet fresh corn, now at its peak. What better way to enjoy it than a bowl of Mexican Corn soup? It is topped with sautéed corn and cilantro. It also has a drizzle of Mexican Crema and a sprinkling of ancho chili powder. It is delicious!
Each year, I can hardly wait until corn season arrives. When my husband and I lived in New England, we often bought corn from a local farm. Corn would be picked several times each day for the upmost freshness.
Living in Florida now, I buy my corn at a farm stand or local market. Maybe not quite as fresh but still great. This week I wanted to make a corn soup while corn is at its best. I decided to create this recipe with a Mexican flair as I think it is a perfect summer meal.
This tasty Mexican corn soup is great with a salad of sliced vine ripe tomatoes and ripe avocado. Add crispy tortilla chips and salsa on the side and you will have a wonderful, refreshing summer meal.
I enjoyed this soup with a glass of chilled New Zealand sauvignon blanc. My husband, on the other hand prefers his with a cold beer. Another tasty drink to pair with Mexican cuisine is a fruity sangria.
What I like about this flavorful Mexican corn soup is that it is pureed to make it thick and creamy. It is still light enough to be enjoyed during even the hottest of summer days. The corn soup is also comforting and would be perfect for a chilly autumn afternoon lunch or evening meal.
The soup is very versatile and many other toppings would make great additions. You can add a spoonful of freshly made pico de gallo. A little shredded pepper jack cheese is also a nice choice. Additionally, roasted and diced Poblano peppers can be used.
Slivers of green onion make a good garnish for those people that don’t care for cilantro. A sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley is also a good choice. It would add color to a bowl of corn soup.
My husband and I really enjoyed this flavorful soup. I must admit however that cutting corn off the cob can be a messy procedure. If you are a beginner cook or want a quicker, simpler version, see Notes From The Kitchen below.
Mexican Corn Soup
Serves 2 generously, so adjust recipe as needed
Soup
- 3 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 c of fresh corn cut off the cob (4 or 5 ears), cobs reserved (frozen or canned corn can be substituted if fresh corn is not available)
- 3 c chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 – 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper, or to taste
- 1 tsp ancho chili powder, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin, or to taste
- 1/2 – 1 tsp green Jalapeño Tabasco, or to taste (a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a small jalapeño pepper minced can be substituted)
- 1/4 c heavy cream
Garnish For Added Flavor
- Reserved sautéed corn
- Drizzle of Mexican Crema (creme fraiche, sour cream or heavy cream can be substituted)
- a few coriander leaves or green onion, sliced thin
- sprinkle of ancho chili powder
- Remove the husks and silks from the corn. Use a sharp knife to cut corn kernels off the cobs and transfer to a bowl. Cut the cobs in half and reserve.
- Melt butter in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic. Cook for 4 – 5 minutes until soft.
- Add corn kernels then cook for 6 – 7 minutes until golden but not brown. Remove 2 – 3 spoonfuls and set aside for garnish. Add the stock, bay leaves and the reserved corn cobs. You will remove them once you’ve extracted their flavor before you puree the soup.
- Bring the soup to a boil, cover and let it simmer for 20 minutes. If necessary, add just enough water to cover the cobs with liquid.
- Uncover and remove the corn cobs and bay leaf. Add the cream and season well with salt, pepper, cumin and Tabasco then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and blend with a hand held immersion blender until desired consistency. Taste and add more seasoning, if needed. If the soup is too thick, thin it with chicken stock. If it’s too thin, cook over medium heat until thickened.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the reserved sautéed corn and tiny sprigs of fresh cilantro. Add a sprinkle of ancho chili powder and a drizzle of Crema.
This recipe takes about 45 minutes to prepare. For an even quicker and simpler version, you can use frozen or canned corn. This eliminates the time and mess of cutting the corn off the cob.
There are a couple of efficient cob-cutting techniques or ways for minimizing mess. You can lay the cob on its side on a cutting board and slice the kernels off horizontally. You can also place the cob stem side down on the top of a bundt pan. Then slice the kernels off vertically and they will fall into the pan.
If you don’t have a hand held immersion blender, let the soup cool slightly. Purée it in batches in a blender. Be sure to crack the lid or remove the center cap to allow steam to escape. Cover with a dishtowel so that liquid doesn’t splatter.
If green Jalapeño Tabasco is not available, use a spoonful of fresh lime juice for acid. Additionally, you can add a diced jalapeño for more spice.
Mexican Crema is not widely available. You can substitute it with a spoonful of creme fraiche, sour cream, or heavy cream.
If ancho chili powder is not available substitute with another chili powder or smoked paprika.
For a vegetarian or vegan version, replace the butter and cream with plant based alternatives.
The soup can be kept refrigerated for 3 – 4 days. Then, reheat leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave.
NOTES FROM THE KITCHEN
****
I believe the corn soup is the perfect summer meal and one that you will enjoy. What’s more, it is very adaptable and can be prepared in many different ways to suit your own taste. For example, you can make it Italian corn soup or Thai corn soup. Simply change a handful of ingredients like the spices and herbs. For a more filling meal, you can even add crab, chopped shrimp or diced chicken.
I would love to know what you think about cutting corn off the cob. Do you think it is a messy job and worth the effort? Or do you prefer using frozen or canned corn in recipes?
I love summer corn too Karen, and this soup sounds wonderful!
Jenna
Yum!! We shucked a bushel of corn several weeks ago from 4-H kids at the local farmer’s market. We froze some on coblets and even smaller pieces for kebabs and of course cut off the cob for recipes just like this!! Thanks for the recipe!
I love for corn in the summer. I buy as much as we can eat from the farmers market. But I never let it get too old in the refrigerator — it really loses its sweetness. This soup sounds just fantastic — another great way to say summer!
This sounds delicious, Karen. I haven’t made corn soup for ages and this reminds me I should again, but I have to confess I always use canned or frozen.
This looks delicious! I love fresh summer corn and this gives me a new idea on how to use it.
What’s better than Mexican corn soup? Not much! This sounds delicious and I know it’d be a big hit in our house. And so easy to make.
Sounds delicious, Karen!
I know I’d love this and I saw fresh corn at the farmer’s market this morning. I will have to buy some next week!
This is the dish for me! Looks scrumptious!
This looks so good!!
Corn soup in the summer with farm fresh corn; it’s one of my favorite things!! Could your recipe reflect some of your Texas roots perhaps, especially with the Ancho, cumin and jalapeno? Looks delicious!
Anything with cumin and I’m so there! I’m saving this one — it’s corn season and I love it! But nice you can use frozen too because I think this would be good any time.
Such a simple yet delightful soup!
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
Looks delicious. I’d say cutting it off is not that big a deal, but some of the new corn in the steam bags taste pretty good too.
This soup sounds wonderful. I have made your Mexican Chicken soup and it was great. The Florida sweet corn season always throws me off.
Mmm I can taste it now! I love a creamy corn soup in the middle of summer. I want to make this right away!
That’s a beautiful looking soup, Karen. I can imagine the taste right now.
Corn is my favorite summer vegetable! This soup looks delicious, Karen. My family would love it!
Corn soup with even more corn to garnish? What’s not to love? This is pure summer in a bowl.
Sounds wonderful, Karen. I wish I ate at your house.
We’ve been eating plenty of corn and this look like another delicious way to enjoy it.
We have lots of summer corn now so I welcome new recipes. Thank you!
Here in Colorado our corn is just starting to come in. I have a source to buy it right out of the field and it’s crazy delicious. This corn recipe sounds really good Thanks for sharing.
Mmmmmm. Great ingredients. I always love the goodies on top!
Wonderful recipe, Karen! I love summer corn, so delicious.
Your soup sounds great Karen. I love corn, and I love your bowl and tea towel in the photos. I confess i use frozen corn for soups.
cheers
sherry https://sherryspickings.blogspot.com/
i have a large, wide metal bowl (20” at least) and I stand the corn in the centre to cut the kernels off. The mess stays in the bowl! Sometimes I would cut the cobs in half to reduce kernels launching themselves out of the bowl! Have you considered grilling the corn first? I think the smokey flavour would definitely enhance this wonderful recipe.
What a great idea for summer sweetcorn. I haven’t had corn soup in years! Thanks for the inspiration Karen!
You know the one time I made corn chowder it was so boring I turned it into my Iowa BBQ soup. But this one looks great and I just order 3 dozen ears of corn from my CSA farmer!
Lovely! I love soup with corn for its natural delicate sweetness. But I’ve never tried soup like this one – interesting and so delicious!
Just bought 6 ears from the Farmer’s market! I think your creamy delicious recipe is the perfect fit. Healthy World Cuisine
Talk about the perfect way to celebrate summer, Karen! We just picked up a few ears to put on the grill but this makes me want to go back and get more so we can try your soup. It looks delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it! Hugs, CoCo
What a lovely and flavorful summer soup.
This looks delicious Karen! I don’t mind cutting corn off the cob but it can get messy haha. But if I were in a hurry I’d be happy to use tinned too 🙂
I was just thinking that we haven’t had a good soup in a while. Soup season is certainly coming, but I like this idea of a summer soup using fresh corn!
This Mexican corn soup looks absolutely delicious! I love how versatile it is, and the toppings make it even better. Perfect for a refreshing summer meal!
Doris/ <a href=”https://purelifegem.com”>Pure Life Gem</a>
I’m a big fan of soups. Fresh corn 🌽 is so abundant today. Great recipe for corn soup!!!
The combination of creamy soup with fresh corn, cilantro, and a touch of ancho chili powder is both comforting and vibrant. Definitely tghis is the perfect way to celebrate summer corn!