Mexican Street Corn Chowder – the delicious flavours of Mexican street corn in a soup form! Loaded with toppings such as tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro and jalapenos, this easy to prepare chowder is a must have at your dinner table.
It appears that in Manitoba the warm, sunny days are not quite here to stay yet so this Mexican Street Corn Chowder is what we’re having to warm up!
Seriously, I can’t believe we just had more snow this past Saturday as well as yesterday! I was enjoying the sunshine just the other day and then boom! Those snowflakes were back.
On the bright side these chillier days mean comforting foods like soup for dinner!
I’ll be honest – I went through a big corn hating phase for a good part of my life. I think it may have had to do with the fact that when I had braces those kernels would get stuck in them. However! This is no longer the case – the last couple of years I have started to enjoy corn again, especially when it is fresh corn on the cob cooked on the barbecue! Only a couple of months or so and I can start enjoying the locally grown corn again!
In the meantime we can enjoy corn in things like this Mexican Street Corn Chowder.
Have you every had Mexican Street Corn (elote in Spanish)? I’ll admit, I’ve never had the real deal, but I have attempted to make it at home. Basically it is corn on the cob with toppings such as chili powder, lime juice, mayo, sour cream and cheese. It’s goooooood, guys.
I’ve essentially taken the flavors of elote and made them into a chowder here. Comforting and with a slightly spicy kick, it is great for lunch or dinner!
This recipe is so easy because it is all made in ONE POT. How exciting is that!? Less dishes! Less mess! This recipe WINS.
I’ve used canned corn in this recipe as at this time of year it is more readily available. It also simplifies the recipe as opening a can only takes a few seconds compared to cooking ears of corn and then cutting all the corn kernels off of them. Either way, come summer you can bet I will be trying to make this again with some fresh ears of corn! It definitely can be a summer soup too. I think you should do the same.
One spoonful and you’ll be in love. It’s comforting, creamy, and delicious. And don’t forget the toppings, they are the best part! You can completed customize it to your liking but I recommend crushed tortilla chips, cilantro, a dash of chili powder, jalapenos and cheese!
Sadly, the one thing I am missing in mine is cotija cheese. I haven’t seen it at any of the places I frequent here in Winnipeg! If anyone knows where I can find it PLEASE tell me and I will love you forever and ever. If you have access to it wherever you are definitely add it to this recipe as a garnish. I bet it would just make it absolutely amazing.
One last tip – you can easily make this vegetarian by leaving out the chicken breast and swapping the chicken stock for vegetable stock. I think you can even make this vegan if you use a vegan cheese and sour cream alternative.
If you try this recipe for Mexican Street Corn Chowder please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, post on the Zest & Simmer Facebook page or share photos on Instagram using the hashtag #zestandsimmer. I’d love to see it!
Mexican Street Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 cooked chicken breasts shredded
- 2 12 oz cans of corn
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and minced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Optional for toppings: cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, jalapeno slices, chili powder, extra shredded cheddar, cotija cheese
Instructions
- Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat. Saute corn for 5 minutes, stirring every minute or so to prevent from scorching. Remove corn from pot and set aside.
- Heat remaining tablespoon of olive oil in same pot and saute the garlic, jalapeno, and onion until they begin to soften and are aromatic, about 3-4 minutes. Add all but 1 cup of the corn back to the pot (keep the remaining set aside for now).
- Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender puree the soup until completely smooth. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can also puree the soup in a regular blender in small batches. (If you use a regular blender return soup to the pot before next step).
- Stir in the chicken, remaining corn, sour cream, lime juice and cheese. Continue to stir until cheese has melted and is mixed throughout the soup.
- Divide into soup bowls, top with desired garnishes and enjoy!
