Spicy, Creamy Mexican Corn Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.This creamy Mexican Corn Soup is packed full of fresh ingredients and a blend of delicious spices. Dairy-free, low in calories, and ready in 30 minutes, it’s a satisfying soup the whole family will love!
I’ve never been a huge fan of corn soup.
While I love the sweetness of fresh corn, I’ve often found corn soups to be too heavy (with all of the cream and butter), and a little too bland for my taste.
My husband, on the other hand, absolutely loves creamy soups of all kinds – Mexican corn soup being one of his favorites. Whenever he has a choice between a cream-based soup and a broth-based soup, he always chooses the cream-based soup.
Latest Recipe Video!
So I decided that I was going to make-over the traditional creamy corn soup without using any actual cream in the recipe, to see if I could make a healthier version that my whole family would enjoy!
Instead of cream, I added vegetable broth and potato for that “creamy” feeling, warm spices like cumin and chili powder, and fun toppings like tomatoes and cilantro for some texture and flavor.
How to Make Spicy Mexican Corn Soup
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
- Corn: Because it can’t be a creamy corn soup without corn! Fresh or frozen works well here!
- Potatoes: Any potato will work well – russet, yukon gold or even red potatoes
- Spices: Cumin, chili powder, cayenne, garlic and black pepper give this Mexican corn soup a depth of flavor.
- Broth: Low sodium vegetable broth is the best option here!
- Onions: For additional flavor – and onions just pair really well with the garlic in this soup!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Cut the onion, potato, and trim the corn kernels off the 5 ears of corn. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, sauté for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.
Step 2: Add the potato and broth, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are very soft – about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Then add the fresh corn and cook through for a couple minutes more.
Step 4: Add a bit more vegetable broth if your creamy corn soup looks too thick. Add all of your spices (cumin, chili powder, cayenne, black pepper).
Step 5: Puree with an immersion/hand blender, or with a regular blender/food processor.
When your soup is done, it will look like this:
Step 6: Top this Mexican corn chowder with a variety of toppings: cilantro, tomatoes, fresh corn, crushed corn chips, avocado, or anything else you can think of!
What Makes This Mexican Corn Soup Healthy?
- Low in Fat and Calories: It can be enjoyed guilt-free with only 128 calories and 2.3 grams of fat per serving.
- Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free: This soup is rich and flavorful without any butter or cream. It is naturally gluten-free. Whether you follow a special diet or not everyone will enjoy this soup.
- Fresh Seasonal Ingredients: This creamy corn soup uses fresh seasonal ingredients. Unlike canned soups you won’t find any processed ingredients.
- Low Sodium: Many canned soups are very high in sodium. This Mexican corn soup uses low-sodium vegetable stock which helps keeps the sodium levels low.
- High in Fiber: Sweet corn is loaded with fiber which aids in digestion, and helps you feel fuller longer. Fiber is also known to lower cholesterol and help control blood sugar.
- Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients: Fresh sweet corn is a good source of B vitamins, iron, potassium and plant protein. It’s also a good source of the antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, which promote eye health.
Is Mexican Corn Soup Kid-Friendly?
This is a smooth and delicious soup. Kids will enjoy customizing their own toppings with ingredients such as tomatoes and cilantro. Some kids might find this corn soup a bit too spicy. I recommend transferring a few ladles of the soup to a small sauce pan before adding the chili powder and cayenne. That way the kids can enjoy the soup spice free!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this creamy corn soup with a side of corn bread or crusty whole wheat bread and a green salad with vinaigrette dressing, topped with toasted pecans or almonds.
Try these soup toppings for more texture and flavor…
- Cilantro
- Diced tomato
- Crushed corn chips
- Diced avocado
- Fresh sweet corn
How to Store and Keep
Let this Mexican corn chowder cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
To freeze: Simply let the soup cool completely after cooking and then pour into a sealable freezer container or portion into ziplock bags.
To reheat: Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot.
Top Tips for Making The Best Mexican Corn Soup
- If you can’t get fresh corn, you can use frozen.
- Use a low sodium vegetable stock.
- If you are using a stand blender, it’s best to blend the soup in batches.
- If using fresh corn, steam and prepare just before making the soup.
- Dial back the cayenne pepper and chili powder if you want a milder flavor.
- Reserve a few ladles before adding spices to make a kid friendly spice free version.
- Add some long grain brown rice, if you want it extra hearty. You can even puree it with the brown rice cooked in the soup for a thicker, creamier texture.
- For additional protein, add 1 15oz can of cannelini beans into this Mexican corn chowder while it’s cooking (at the same time you add in the corn). And then follow the rest of the directions through the puree stage!
- Get creative with toppings such as cilantro, avocado and corn chips.
- Serve with some crusty bread or corn bread and a light crunchy salad.
- Soups freeze well, make a big batch and freeze the rest for easy meals!
Be Sure To Check Out These Other Healthy Soup Recipes!
- Chunky and Hearty Pinto Bean Soup
- Vegan Tomato Soup
- Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Carrot Potato Soup
- 65 Vegetarian Mexican Recipes
If you have tried this Spicy Mexican Corn Soup recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Spicy, Creamy Mexican Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 5 ears fresh sweet corn or 2.5 cups frozen corn
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt plus more to taste
- ½ medium yukon gold potato chopped into cubes
- 2-3 cups vegetable stock the more stock you add, the thinner your soup will be
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1½ tsp chili powder
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the onion, potato, and trim the corn kernels off the 5 ears of corn.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, saute for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent. Add the potato and broth, bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are very soft – about 10 minutes. Then add the fresh corn and cook through for a couple minutes more.
- Add a bit more vegetable broth if your soup mixture looks too thick. Add all of your spices (cumin, chili powder, cayenne, black pepper). Then puree with an immersion/hand blender, or with a regular blender/food processor.
- Top with a variety of toppings: cilantro, tomatoes, fresh corn, crushed corn chips, avocado, or anything else you can think of! Enjoy!
Notes
- If you can’t get fresh corn, you can use frozen.
- Use a low sodium vegetable stock.
- If you are using a stand blender, it’s best to blend the soup in batches.
- If using fresh corn, steam and prepare just before making the soup.
- Dial back the cayenne pepper and chili powder if you want a milder flavor.
- Reserve a few ladles before adding spices to make a kid friendly spice free version.
- Add some long grain brown rice, if you want it extra hearty. You can even puree it with the brown rice cooked in the soup for a thicker, creamier texture.
- For additional protein, add 1 15oz can cannelini beans into the soup while it’s cooking (at the same time you add in the corn). And then follow the rest of the directions through the puree stage!
- Get creative with toppings such as cilantro, avocado and corn chips.
- Serve with some crusty bread or corn bread and a light crunchy salad.
- Soups freeze well, make a big batch and freeze the rest for easy meals!
How much is one serving? Sorry i’m not so good at math & i would appreciate a answer.
Thanks! In cups would be great btw.
I’d say 1 serving is about 1.25 cups of soup. Hope that helps!
This looks so delicious! Exactly what I was looking for for dinner tonight and I LOVE that it’s a healthier option. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks!
Aw thank you so much Anna! I’m sure you will love this soup when you try it – it’s one of my favorites! Let me know how it goes!
It was amazing! Thanks 🙂
Awesome! So glad to hear it Anna!
Loved this soup! 🙂 Easy and tasty!
So happy to hear that Taiana! 🙂
This sounds delicious – if ears of corn are out of season, how many cups of frozen/canned do you think would work?
Hi Becca! I’m pretty sure that 2 medium ears of corn = 1 cup of frozen/canned corn. So maybe about 2.5 cups would work? Hope that helps!
Do you think this would work in a slow cooker, and if so, any suggestions for times, etc?
Hi Lyonna! This is a pretty quick cooking soup, so I’m not sure it would be the best in a slow cooker. I feel like stews and chilis are better for slow cookers, because you want that all-day-cooked feeling. For this soup, you want the fresh/light feeling that is better done on the spot (and it literally takes less than 30 minutes to make including prep and cooking time – so it is super fast!) Hope that helps!
I had a similar soup to this at a restaurant about a month ago, and I have been searching for a recipe for a while now. I just made this soup, and it is delicious! exactly the flavors I was looking for.
Thank you!
Oh yay!! That’s awesome – I’m so glad you liked the recipe! Thanks for letting me know Bryana!
This looks like the most perfect fall soup! Thanks for sharing, I look forward to giving it a try.
Thanks Faith!! Let me know how you like this recipe! 🙂
What an amazing combination, this sounds very exotic to me but I am sure it tastes amazing :). Congrats on your blog, it’s an explosion of color and delight, kisses.
Thank you so much!! And yes, the spices do make it a bit more “exotic” than your traditional corn soup, but the best part is – all of the ingredients can be found at virtually any grocery store! Hope you like this recipe, and thanks again for your kind words about my blog!
Awesome!!! But I think I will try shallots instead of onions. And do u think a sweet potato could work instead of a yukon?
Shallots instead of onions will definitely work. And as for a sweet potato – take a look at my reply to Parita’s comment above. I think it might make the soup a little too sweet, but you can always test it out and offset some of the sweetness with more spices! Hope you enjoy this recipe Brock!
This sounds delicious! I wonder if by using a sweet potato the soup would be too sweet. Thoughts?
Thanks Parita! Good question about the sweet potato – since the corn is already pretty sweet, I think the sweet potato will make the soup much, much sweeter. That said, you can always use more spices to offset some of the sweetness, and the result might be an even more delicious soup! I think I might try a sweet potato the next time I make this, just to see what happens 🙂 If you end up using it and it turns out well, let me know!
Looks delicious! I’m going to make this tonight!
Yay! Thanks Elizabeth! I’m sure you will love this recipe!
I made it and added corn- so good!!!
Yay!! Glad to hear it Elizabeth!
Even if summer’s over, I think I’ll still have this any day. Yum! :9
Hehe I feel the same way 🙂 Thanks Cealan!
I feel like having it now (10.23pm). This looks so good and heart-warming. BTW, did I miss you on FoodBuzz festival last weekend? I thought I saw you…
Haha! Thanks Linda 🙂 And yes! I was at FoodBuzz – too bad I missed you, would have been great to meet in person!!
This sounds sooo good. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much Jenn!! Hope you like it!
this looks delicious! I pinned it! thanks for the share!
Thanks Danielle! 🙂 Let me know how it turns out for you!
This is nice and easy. And I love corn soups. Perfect recipe for winter. 🙂
Aw thanks so much!! I’m sure you will love this recipe!