Mexican Street Corn Soup (Slow Cooker Corn Chowder)

This creamy Mexican street corn soup recipe is a slow cooker corn chowder that's loaded with sweet summer corn, bold Mexican street corn flavors, and a silky cream cheese base that makes every single spoonful incredibly rich and satisfying. While it's absolutely incredible when made with fresh sweet summer corn, you can use frozen corn any time of year, so there's no waiting to enjoy this cozy and delicious recipe!

🤔Why Do They Call It Street Corn?

Mexican street corn, or elote, gets its name from street food vendors found throughout Mexico selling grilled corn on the spot. These vendors load fresh ears of corn with creamy mayo, tangy cotija cheese, chili powder, and freshly squeezed lime juice. That savory combination of bold smoky flavors is exactly why Mexican street corn soup has become such a popular recipe (and also why our Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad is always a hit!). It captures all of those delicious elote flavors in an easy creamy slow cooker corn chowder your whole family will love!

🌽This Is Not a Panera Copycat Corn Chowder Recipe...And It's Way Better For You!

If you search for Mexican street corn soup, you will find plenty of Panera copycat corn chowder recipes online. Most of those copycat versions rely on poblano peppers and heavy cream to recreate that familiar Panera flavor. Our easy Mexican street corn chowder skips the poblano. It uses smoky chipotle peppers instead for a much bolder (and authentic) kick. We also use reduced fat cream cheese, which provides an incredibly rich and creamy texture with half the calories and fat found in heavy cream.

🌞A Summer Crockpot Soup That Can Be Enjoyed Year Round

While nothing beats the incredible flavor of fresh sweet summer corn cut right off the cob, frozen corn works well in this recipe too. Even better, there's no need to defrost the corn ahead of time. Just toss it straight into the slow cooker and let it do all the work! This easy Mexican street corn soup is perfect for summer because you never have to turn on the oven on a hot day. But honestly this creamy slow cooker corn chowder is just as cozy and satisfying on a chilly fall night or a big football Sunday!

🥘Ingredients Needed For Mexican Street Corn Soup

• corn: You can use corn fresh off the cob, or opt for frozen corn to easily enjoy this recipe year-round.
• yellow potatoes: I like these because they have a naturally creamy texture and you don't even have to peel them!
• chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: These peppers bring a bold, smoky heat. This gives the chowder its authentic street corn kick. Find them in a small can on the ethnic food aisle.
• white onion: Diced white onion provides a sharp, savory foundation that perfectly balances the sweetness of the corn.
• fresh garlic cloves: Freshly minced garlic infuses the creamy broth with a delicious aromatic depth.
• green bell pepper: Brings a subtle earthy flavor and a great pop of color to the bowl.
• chili powder, cumin, oregano: This trio of warm spices captures the signature, earthy flavor profile of classic elote.
• reduced sodium chicken broth: Provides a rich, savory foundation for the soup without all the salt.
• fresh lime juice: A bright squeeze of citrus cuts through the richness and balances the savory flavors.
• reduced fat cream cheese: This melts smoothly into the soup to create a rich, velvety texture. And it has half the fat and calories of heavy cream!
• green onions, tortilla strips, cotija or feta cheese: Finishing your bowl with these optional toppings adds a beautiful pop of color, a salty bite, and the perfect satisfying crunch.

See recipe card for quantities.

🔪How To Make Mexican Street Corn Soup

Step 1: Add corn and diced potatoes to the bottom of a greased or lined crockpot.

Step 2: Add chopped chipotles, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and seasonings to the pot.

Step 3: Pour in broth and lime juice; stir, cover, and slow cook.

Step 4: Remove some of the warm broth and vegetables; transfer to food processor to puree.

Step 5: Add softened cream cheese to the pureed mixture; pulse until smooth.

Step 6: Return creamy pureed ingredients to slow cooker; cook for an additional 30 minutes.

For step-by-step instructions, see the printable recipe card below.

Hint: If you don't have a food processor, a regular blender or immersion blender works perfectly. Just be careful when blending hot soup in a standard blender! Remember to leave the center cap slightly vented so the steam can escape.

🌿Kid-Friendly Ingredient Substitutions

Here are a few great, kid-friendly ingredient substitutions that will tone down the heat while keeping all that delicious, creamy flavor:

• Swap the chipotles in adobo sauce for mild diced green chiles: The chipotle peppers are the main source of heat in this recipe. Swapping them for a 4-ounce can of mild diced green chiles still provides a wonderful savory flavor without the spicy kick. If you still want that hint of smokiness, just add a pinch of smoked paprika!
• Swap the green bell pepper for a sweet red bell pepper: Green bell peppers can sometimes have a slightly bitter bite that picky eaters notice. A sweet red bell pepper keeps that fun pop of color in the bowl but offers a much milder, sweeter flavor.
• Swap the sharp white onion for a sweet yellow onion: White onions have a sharper, more pungent flavor. Using a sweet yellow onion softens the flavor profile. If your kids are sensitive to texture, you can even skip the diced onion entirely and just use a teaspoon of onion powder instead!

📖Easy Slow Cooker Corn Chowder Recipe Variations

• Hearty Chicken Corn Chowder: To turn this creamy soup into a protein powerhouse, simply stir in two cups of cooked, shredded rotisserie chicken during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• Fully Loaded Bacon Elote Soup: For a decadent, smoky twist, stir in a handful of crispy crumbled bacon just before serving, and swap the cotija for a sharp shredded cheddar cheese.
• Vegetarian Mexican Street Corn Soup: This recipe is incredibly easy to adapt! To make it vegetarian, just swap the chicken broth for your favorite vegetable broth. Most cotija cheese is vegetarian, but if you're using feta, you'll want to make sure it contains no animal rennet (you could also opt for vegan feta). If you want to make this recipe completely vegan, also use a plant-based cream cheese alternative.

See our creamy Crockpot Potato Soup for another cozy slow cooker soup recipe.

🍽Essential Equipment Needed

• 6 quart slow cooker (lined or greased)
• cutting board and pairing knife
• food processor, blender, or immersion blender

🍶Storing Your Mexican Street Corn Soup

Refrigerator: This creamy slow cooker corn chowder makes fantastic leftovers! Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just keep your fresh toppings in a separate container until you are ready to serve.

Freezer: You can freeze this easy Mexican street corn soup for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. Since it has a dairy base, it might separate slightly when thawed. Just reheat it low and slow on the stovetop, giving it a good stir to restore that perfectly creamy texture.

❓Mexican Street Corn Chowder FAQ

🍲More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes

Looking for other crockpot recipes like this Mexican Street Corn Soup? Try these:

🌮Pairing With Mexican Inspired Dishes

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Mexican street corn chowder:

📋Recipe With Step-By-Step Instructions

Mexican Street Corn Soup (Slow Cooker Corn Chowder)

Kitchen Ready Betty

This creamy Mexican street corn soup is an easy slow cooker corn chowder loaded with sweet corn, tender potatoes, and bold elote flavors. A blended cream cheese base gives every cozy bowl a rich, velvety texture your whole family will love!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Main Dishes, Soups

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8

Calories 228 kcal

Equipment

• 6 quart slow cooker/crockpot (lined or well greased)
• cutting board
• pairing knife
• food processor (or blender or immersion blender)

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 cups sweet corn from the cob or frozen (do not defrost)
• 1.5 lbs yellow potatoes cut into small cubes
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce do not rinse; finely chop (these typically come in a small can)
• 1 cup white onion chopped
• 1 green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 lime freshly squeezed for juice
• 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese soften to room temperature before using in recipe
• green onions, tortilla strips, crumbled cotija or feta cheese use as desired for optional toppings

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Instructions

 

• Add corn and diced potatoes to bottom of slow cooker.
• Next add diced chipotle peppers, onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic.
• Sprinkle on the chili powder, cumin, and oregano.
• Pour the chicken broth over the contents in the slow cooker; then add the lime juice.
• Give a quick stir. Cover and cook on LOW for 6.5 hours (preferred) or on HIGH for 3 hours.
• Remove approximately 1.5 cups of combined broth and soup ingredients from the slow cooker. Place into food processor. Pulse until almost smooth (mixture will be mushy/slightly lumpy).
• Add softened cream cheese to the processor. Pulse until entire bar is smoothly blended with the soup mixture.
• Add blended cream cheese mixture to the crockpot. Adjust temperature to HIGH, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
• Serve soup warm. Top with green onions, tortilla strips, and crumbled cotija or feta cheese as desired.

Notes

 

You have total control over the consistency during the blending step. For a thicker, more velvety chowder, simply transfer a larger portion of your hot soup to the food processor before you blend in the cream cheese. If you prefer a thinner broth, blend a smaller amount, or stir in an extra splash of warm chicken broth right before serving.

Be sure to let the cream cheese soften (at least 30 minutes) to room temperature before blending it with your warm soup mixture. Softened cream cheese emulsifies beautifully into the broth, ensuring your final dish is flawlessly creamy.

If you don't have a food processor, a regular blender or immersion blender works perfectly! Just be careful when blending hot soup in a standard blender-remember to leave the center cap slightly vented so the steam can escape.

See the above post for kid friendly ingredient swaps and how to safely store this soup.

 

 

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 228kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 9gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 172mgPotassium: 825mgFiber: 5gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 661IUVitamin C: 38mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 2mg

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_{Please note that nutritional information is provided by a third party service and is intended for guidance purposes only. KitchenReadyBetty.com makes no claims to its accuracy.}