Sopa de maiz, or corn soup, is one of my favorite dishes from Mexico. We've visited Mexico on multiple occasions and I always look forward to eating this soup, even when it's 80 degrees outside. There's something about the pure corn flavor pureed into a lusciously creamy soup that's really comforting to me. Fresh corn is one of my favorite seasonal foods and I love how many ways traditional Mexican cuisine uses corn. Granted the places I've eaten this soup at are resorts and who knows how authentic the dish is there, but I love it nonetheless.
Freezing Fresh Corn on the Cob
I have a tendency to get a little over-zealous at the farmer's market when it comes to corn. It's only in season for a very short time so I have to buy it every week until it's gone. We eat it many different ways whether it's simple summer corn with butter, salt and pepper, or sweet corn elotes, or made into something like this soup. But since I buy so much of it, I end up freezing quite a bit to use throughout the year.
Freezing it is a pretty simple process:
- Shuck the corn and remove the silk.
- Rinse and dry the corn.
- Hold cob vertically in a bowl and cut kernels off from the top down using a paring knife.
- Place kernels in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined sheet pan.
- Freeze until kernels are frozen solid.
- Move kernels from parchment paper to a freezer zippered bag and freeze. Your frozen corn still be good by the time next corn season rolls around!
Cilantro Lime Crema
Topping dishes with a simple tangy sauce is one of my signature moves for bringing some brightness to a recipe. For this soup I made a cilantro lime crema using sour cream, lime zest and juice, and cilantro. I love using my mini food processor to make small batches like this sauce.
Making the Soup
This recipe is truly very simple. All you need to do is sauté some vegetables and corn kernels, simmer them with some stock and spices, throw it all in a blender and blend it with some half and half and that's about it! Add your favorite toppings and dinner is ready in 30 minutes or less!
Sopa de Maiz (Mexican Corn Soup)
Ingredients
Soup:
- 6 cups corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can diced green chiles (4 oz)
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chile powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric (optional, for color)
Cilantro Lime Crema:
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 limes zested and juiced
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Optional Toppings:
- thinly sliced jalapeno
- grape tomatoes, quartered
- panela cheese, cut into ½" cubes
- ripe avocado, diced
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
Soup:
- Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add in onions and garlic. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
- Add in green chiles, cumin, chile powder, salt and pepper. Stir until combined and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add corn and broth to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add contents of pot to blender. Add in turmeric and half and half. Blend until smooth. If soup has cooled down, put it back in the pot and heat.
- Divide soup among bowls. Top with crema and assorted toppings.
Cilantro Lime Crema
- While soup is cooking, prepare crema. Add all ingredients to a small food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Kayla DiMaggio says
This was so delicious! Loved how creamy it was and the whole family enjoyed it!
Tammy says
I love creamy corn bisque but I've not had it with cumin and turmeric! That sounds so delicious and flavorful. This is a beautiful and bright dish.
Kathryn says
This soup was so perfect for our dinner and it was easy to make. Loved all of the fresh flavors and spices. Thanks for the recipe!
Annie says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe Kathryn!
Amy says
Spring has not sprung here yet so this soup was perfect for a chilly day. I especially loved all the toppings. I can't wait to make this again with fresh Jersey corn this summer.
Annie says
I'm so glad you loved it Amy! I love saving some of my summer corn to make this soup all year!
Veronika says
This corn soup came out so delicious! Thank you for all the tips, it was very helpful!
Amanda Mason says
I was super interested in trying this recipe because I've never had a corn soup before...I've had corn chowder but this is different. Oh my goodness this was amazingly delicious! So easy to make, hearty, and comfort food at it's finest!
Annie says
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup! It's one of my favorites!
Amanda says
This soup turned out so delicious! It had the perfect spice kick and was so creamy, and then the crema gave it a nice finishing touch.
Annie says
Thank you so much, Amanda!! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Marta says
The green chilies in this sopa de maiz really added a great bit of mild spice. This is similar to a soup we make in Puerto Rico, but I think this might be more tasty (don't tell Abuela I said that).
Annie says
Haha I won't tell if you don't! 😉
veenaazmanov says
Perfect Bowl of Soup for Dinner. Looks fresh and creamy and delicious.
Enri Lemoine says
I'm a corn person, so I ran to my grocery store to buy all the ingredients and made this incredibly good and comforting soup. Thanks for the inspiration. Can I give you six stars?
Annie says
You are too sweet! Thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe!