Inspired by the popular Mexican street snack, this quick soup calls for frozen fire-roasted corn to add depth and a smokiness reminiscent of grilled corn on the cob; garlic, chili powder, cilantro, lime juice, and Cotija cheese complete the flavor nod. We all know the virtues of keeping frozen produce on hand, and the fire-roasted corn proves its worth twice here: first in providing sweet summer goodness year-round, second in delivering deep charred flavor with nary a grill in sight. Blending half of the soup brings a velvety smoothness, while leaving some whole kernels lends a bit of texture. An immersion blender will make quick and somewhat chunkier work of this, but to achieve even smoother texture, opt to whiz up the half in a blender.
All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.
What you’ll need
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Immersion Blender
$100 At Amazon
Glass Measuring Cup
$26 At Amazon
Ladle
$27 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
2
2
½
1
5
2
1
4
1
1
Preparation
Step 1
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium until butter is melted and foaming. Sprinkle in ½ tsp. chili powder and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 medium onion, finely chopped, and 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Add 1 large potato (russet or Yukon Gold; about 1 lb.), peeled, cut into ½" pieces, 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, and two thirds of one 12-oz. bag fire-roasted frozen corn (about 2 cups) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover pot, and simmer until potato is very tender, 12–14 minutes.
Step 2
Remove pot from heat; stir in 1 cup whole milk. Carefully ladle about half of soup into a blender and blend, gradually increasing to high speed, until very smooth. Pour back into pot. (Or pour half of soup into another pot and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.)
Step 3
Add remaining one third of one 12-oz. bag fire-roasted frozen corn and 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt to soup; season with pepper. Reheat over low until warmed through, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Ladle soup into bowls; top with crumbled Cotija cheese and chopped cilantro and sprinkle with chili powder. Serve with lime wedges.
Leave a Review
Reviews (10)
Back to TopThis soup is delightful! It comes together quickly and has a simple list of ingredients. I used a cheapo immersion blender on probably 75% of the soup and that seemed just fine making it smooth. I enjoyed the remaining unblended chunks anyway - it gave the soup nice texture.
AlyssaM
Austin, TX
2/20/2024
This is a good take on a Mexican style elote soup. I changed things up a bit by thickening the soup with a slurry. I also added some cheese in the soup for a bit more flavor. In addition I blended all the potatoes instead of leaving some pieces of potato. I think next time I’ll add a couple of slices of bacon and chop it up into the soup. The bacon fat could be used in place of the olive oil to cook the garlic and onions. Lots of things you can adjust to your liking in this recipe.
SelfTaughtChef
Round Rock, TX
2/21/2024
This was just awful. Like a pot of hot water - bland and way too much liquid. I did the recipe exactly as written. Does anyone test these recipes???
Sera
New Mexico
2/25/2024
We loved this soup. You do need to make sure you use fire roasted corn and get most of the veggies into the blender to thicken the broth. We use queso fresco on top instead of cojita. Also, I like it with about 1/2 teaspoon on chipotle powder into the stock for a little smoky heat. Just about to make another batch!
Rachel B
Scottsdale, AZ
2/25/2024
Delicious, quick, and you probably have a lot of the ingredients on hand. My boyfriend liked it and he isn't normally a fan of soup. Blending half is key for a nice texture and an immersion blender makes quick work of this. If you don't have one, you should; it's a game-changer. I used feta instead of cotija because I always have it and it still has that salty, crumbly goodness.
Sarah
San Luis Obispo, CA
2/25/2024
I added ground beef that I had seasoned with taco seasoning. Still the soup was a bit bland and watery. It did taste better the next day… probably credit to the meat flavoring and not the soup though. It needed more potato than the recipe calls for as well.
D
Colorado
2/26/2024
This soup was delicious! I added a little less stock and a bunch of tajin for flavor.
Anonymous
2/29/2024