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Mexican Street Corn Soup

A creamy crock pot soup with sweet corn, shredded chicken, lime, cilantro, and crumbled cheese inspired by Mexican street corn.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: American, Mexican-Inspired
Calories: 345
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the soup base
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 cups frozen corn divided
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For the creamy finish
  • 4 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
For serving
  • 1/3 cup cotija or feta cheese crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1 lime cut into wedges
  • 1 pinch extra chili powder or Tajin-style seasoning optional for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 slow cooker 4- to 6-quart
  • 1 skillet for sautéing onion and garlic
  • 1 Blender or immersion blender for blending part of the soup
  • 2 forks for shredding chicken

Method
 

Prepare the base
  1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
  2. Transfer the onion and garlic to the slow cooker. Add the chicken breasts, 3 cups of the corn, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, until the chicken is tender and fully cooked.
Finish the soup
  1. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and shred it with two forks.
  2. Carefully blend about 2 cups of the soup with the softened cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.
  3. Return the blended mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the shredded chicken, remaining 1 cup corn, and lime juice.
  4. Cover and cook on high for 15 to 20 minutes more, until hot and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  5. Serve topped with crumbled cheese, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and optional extra seasoning.

Notes

Blend only part of the soup for the best texture. Feta can replace cotija. For more heat, add jalapeno or cayenne. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days and reheat gently.