This Slow Cooker Street Corn Soup takes two fan-favorite recipes (white chicken chili and street corn salad) and combines them into one cozy, crockpot dinner. You get the rich, creamy comfort of a classic white chicken chili with the zesty flavor of Mexican Street Corn (aka elote). The best part is you can dump it in your slow cooker in the morning and let it do all the heavy lifting for you.
It’s loaded with corn, cotija, chicken, jalapenos, and a splash of lime. If you need a new soup to add to your regular rotation during the colder months, this should be at the top of your list.
What is Street Corn Soup?
We took the popular smothered, grilled Mexican street corn (also known as Elote) that’s traditionally covered in mayo, chili powder, lime juice, and cotija and turned it into a hearty, chili-style soup. We added chicken, doubled the corn, and finished it with a splash of cream so it feels more like a cozy main dish instead of a side.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hands off. Dump this in the slow cooker and be on your way!
- Two favorites in one. All the creamy deliciousness of white chicken chili, plus the flavors of street corn.
- Customizable. Adjust the heat or add the toppings your family loves
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken breasts: I like to use boneless, skinless breasts. You can sub this out for thighs, too.
- Chili powder: a staple of elote, this gives it that familiar flavor. You can adjust the amount if you need less spice.
- Garlic cloves: for a little extra flavor, just like the salad.
- Red onion: we use red in the salad, so we use red in the soup as well. If you don’t have red, any diced onion will work.
- Jalapeno: diced (I used canned). You can swap this out for green chilies if you want less heat.
- Frozen corn: regular corn works great, but it’s also tasty with charred frozen corn if you can find it. You can sub out canned or fresh as well if it’s all you have on hand.
- Chicken broth or stock: The base of this soup to keep it a little lighter
- Cilantro: adds a fresh, tangy flavor just like the street corn salad. If you aren’t a cilantro fan, you can leave it out.
- Heavy cream: this makes the soup a little more creamy and is in place of the mayonnaise base from the salad.
- Cotija cheese: this bold, salty cheese is what gives this soup its signature taste. Don’t skip it!
- Lime juice: a squeeze of fresh is best, but from a bottle works in a pinch.
Substitutions Notes
- Swap the cotija for feta or queso fresco in a pinch.
- Rotisserie or canned chicken can be subbed for the raw chicken breasts, just stir it in during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- If you want a more authentic street corn flavor, you can buy charred corn (or char it yourself in a pan) before adding it to the soup.
- Swap the heavy cream for plain greek yogurt for a lighter, higher-protein version
How to Make this Easy Street Corn Soup
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top with chili powder, salt and pepper, and minced garlic. Add red onion, diced jalapeno and frozen corn, then add the four cups of chicken broth.
- Cook on low for 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the soup and shred, then return to the slow cooker. Add cilantro, heavy cream, cotija cheese, lime juice and stir. Let it cook for another 15-30 minutes, until everything is heated through.
- Serve with additional cotija cheese, diced jalapenos, and a drizzle of mexican crema or sour cream (if desired).
Variations to try:
- Make it vegetarian: skip the chicken and add in white beans and vegetable broth.
- Swap the spice: heat it up with chipotle peppers or more jalapeno. Tone it down by using green chilies or poblano peppers instead of jalapenos.
- Make it on the stovetop: Cook the chicken (any way you prefer), then shred or cut it into bite size pieces. Add the remaining ingredients (except the cilantro, cream, cotija, and lime juice) to the pot and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes, until everything is heated through. Stir in the cilantro, cream, cotija, and lime juice and heat for 2-3 minutes until the soup is heated through and serve with desired toppings.
Storage, Freezing, & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container after they have cooled in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
To freeze, add all the ingredients except for the cream, cotija, and lime juice to a gallon-size freezer bag or freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Reheat from frozen, thaw soup in the fridge overnight, then follow the directions as follows for cooking.
To reheat after cooking, warm the soup gently on the stove top over medium-low heat for best results.
Note: this soup does not freeze well after cooking because the cream tends to separate.
What to serve with Street Corn Soup
This soup is hearty and can honestly stand on its own as a meal, but if you want to stretch it a little further, we recommend serving it with homemade cornbread or a little guacamole and chips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Cook the chicken (any way you prefer), then shred or cut it into bite size pieces. Continue cooking the rest according to the stove top directions listed above in the variations section.
Absolutely. This recipe was written originally with frozen corn as the ingredient. You don’t need to even thaw it first, just throw it straight into the slow cooker!
With the jalapenos, this soup definitely has a little kick. If you’re nervous about it, you can add less jalapenos or swap them for green chilies instead.
You could use an immersion blender to cream some of the corn and thicken it up. If you want to add even more texture, you could also stir in some sour cream.
YES! This soup tastes great with a little shredded rotisserie chicken. Add it in at the end (with about 30 minutes left to cook) to make sure it’s warmed through.
We love this one with extra cotija cheese, sliced jalapenos, diced tomatoes, cilantro, extra charred corn, or tortilla strips.
Enjoy More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
Slow Cooker Street Corn Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup red onion, diced
- 2 Tablespoons diced jalapeno, I used canned
- 30 ounces frozen corn
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup cotija cheese
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
Equipment
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in the bottom of a slow cooker. Top with chili powder, salt and pepper, and minced garlic. Add red onion, diced jalapeno and frozen corn, then add the four cups of chicken broth.
- Cook on low for 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the soup and shred, then return to the slow cooker. Add cilantro, heavy cream, cotija cheese, lime juice and stir. Let it cook for another 15-30 minutes, until everything is heated through.
- Serve with additional cotija cheese, diced jalapenos, and a drizzle of mexican crema or sour cream (if desired).
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?We’d love to hear your thoughts! Leave a review or a question in the comment section below the post.
