Heat, which had settled into the valleys, streets, and the Plaza de Armas, recedes at a rapid pace. A refreshing, cool summer evening fills people with a giddy levity and becomes the background for buzzing night markets brimming with food. Amidst the markets, if you follow the trail of smoke you’ll find char-grilled corn piled high with a variety of garnishes and condiments. Here, this Mexican Street Corn Soup takes the elements of a classic street food staple and transforms it into a complex creamy soup.
Mexican Street Corn Soup is full of flavors that mimic its classic on-the-cob cousin. Earthy umami notes of dried spices and herbs bloom with sautéed onions and garlic. A base of potatoes and corn cook down until tender, and then everything gets blended into a wonderfully smooth texture and garnished with toppings piled high to your heart’s content.
This soup’s base starts with a sauté of onions, which are cooked down until soft and slightly translucent. Next, garlic is tossed in, followed by chili powder, dried oregano, cumin, and cayenne. Cooking the spices alongside the garlic and onions blooms the spices and creates a deeper, more full-bodied flavor.
Next, add the potatoes and chicken stock and bring to a boil. The potatoes take some time to get soft, so they need to boil way longer than other ingredients like the corn.
Once the potatoes are fork-tender, add the corn to the pot and cook the soup for an additional five minutes.
Either use an immersion blender and use a standard blender to purée the soup. Depending on your preferences, you can make the soup as chunky or as smooth as you’d like. Here, the soup is completely puréed for a smooth and creamy texture.
A garnishing with some smoked chili powder, paprika, and fresh herbs adds lovely color to the top of the Mexican Street Corn Soup. The soup is rich and creamy without the use of cheese and milk, making it an interesting balance of satisfaction without being too heavy.
The sautéed aromatics and herbs are packed with savory flavors that complement the natural sweetness of the corn. Mexican Street Corn Soup is a great freezer staple that you can have on standby and pull out and defrost. It acts as a lunch or a light dinner to pair with cheese-stuffed tortillas or a seared piece of steak or chicken. With this soup, a taste of a famous street food doesn’t have to be reserved for a special trip and can be whipped up at home.
Mexican Street Corn Soup
Allergens: Corn
Diet: Low-Lactose
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 medium (about 1 lb) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 12-ounce bags frozen corn kernels
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
For garnish:
- Chopped cilantro or parsley
- Chili powder or paprika
Preparation
- In a large pot set over medium heat, heat olive oil and sauté onions until soft and translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add in garlic, cooking until fragrant about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add chili powder, dried oregano, cumin, and cayenne, tossing until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in chicken stock and add in the potatoes. Bring to a boil reduce to a simmer, cooking until the potatoes are soft and fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add in corn. Cook until the corn is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- In batches transfer the soup into a blender and purée the soup until smooth. If you like a chunkier soup, you only purée about 1/2 of the soup.
- Garnish with toppings of your choosing, serve warm, and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Plantings and Pairings.