Street Corn Soup
A souped up version of my favorite street corn made with cream, spices and Mexican cheese.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 6 ears fresh corn on the cobs
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 1 medium Fresno or poblano pepper seeded and finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp epazote (see note) finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 3 small to medium potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes I use small baby gold or baby red potatoes
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup crema mexicana or heavy cream use extra for topping
- 1 Tbsp ancho chile powder, Tajin or regular chile powder keep bottle handy for topping
- ⅓ cup cilantro finely chopped, some reserved for topping
- ½ cup crumbled cotija or queso fresca
- 1 large avocado (optional, topping)
- lime wedges (optional, topping)
Instructions
- Shuck the corn and grill on an open BBQ or use your broiler. You want to get that nice caramel brown char on the outside of the corn. I prefer the BBQ because it doesn't heat up my kitchen and it adds a nice smoky flavor to the corn. This can also be done a day ahead. You can keep the cobs in the fridge for a day till you're ready to cut off the kernels and make the soup.
- Cut the kernels off the cobs and set aside. Save the cobs too. You will add them to the soup for an extra rich corn flavor.
- In a large saucepan, saute the onions in butter with the diced peppers
- When the onions are translucent, add the garlic, oregano, epazote (if using) and bay leaf. Cook for an addition 3-4 minutes then add the, corn, corn cobs and vegetable broth.
- Allow soup to simmer for about 10 minutes then transfer about ½ of the mixture (without the corn cobs!) to a blender or food processor and puree.
- Return corn puree to the saucepan and add the potatoes, milk, crema and chile powder. Continue to simmer on low heat until the potatoes are soft. Add more broth if needed. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Once potatoes are soft, ladle the soup into bowls and top with cotija or queso fresca, sour cream, cilantro and a dash of chile powder. Load on any other toppings that strike your fancy.
- Grab some chips and salsa, pour yourself an agua fresca and enjoy!
Notes
Epazote (pronounced eh-pah-ZOH-teh) is an aromatic herb commonly used in Mexican cuisine. Both the fresh leaves and tender stems are used in cooking. It has the flavor of oregano, mint, anise and citrus. It's native to Mexico and South and Central America. Here in the US you can find it in the produce section of your local Latin grocery store, usually with the fresh herbs. If you can't find epazote, substitute dried Mexican oregano.