Southwest Creamy Corn Soup

Published: September 12, 2019 Updated: September 12, 2019 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 33 Comments

This southwest creamy corn soup recipe combines plenty of fresh corn, sweet potato, bell pepper and smoked paprika all in a rich, satisfying broth. Garnish with crispy bacon, jalapeno and cilantro for one belly satisfying meal you’re gonna love!

Bowl of corn soup garnished with bacon, jalapeno and cilantro.

Got corn? This creamy corn soup recipe is a fabulous transition recipe from summer to fall.

It’s more of a soup than a chowder because of a looser consistency. However, it does channel corn chowder vibes because of the addition of cream. Kinda like a corn soup chowder recipe, maybe? Best of both worlds, if you ask me!

Ingredients for Creamy Corn Soup

Plenty of fresh, sweet corn
Chicken broth
Cream
Sweet potato
Bell pepper
Aromatics, like garlic and onion
Jalapeno
Bacon
Olive oil
Seasoning, like salt, pepper and smoked paprika

Ingredients for a creamy corn soup recipe.

How To Make Corn Soup

Full details are in the recipe card below, but here are the basics:

Remove kernels from ears of corn.
Combine broth and cream in a pot and place the corn ears in there. Bring to a low simmer for about 15 minutes.
Discard the corn ears. They’ve done their job!
In a pot, crisp up some bacon and drain fat (reserve a little crispy bacon, if you like, for garnish).
Cook onion in some olive oil, then cook garlic.
Add remaining ingredients, like bell peppers, jalapeno, sweet potato and seasoning, stirring to combine.
Add milk/cream mixture to veggies. Bring to a simmer and cook for a little until potatoes are tender.
Remove about a cup of the corn soup and blend with an immersion blender.
Pour blended soup back into the pot and stir in. Then it’s just a matter of portioning, garnishing (if you like) and digging in!

Collage of steps to make homemade corn soup.

Can I Use Frozen Corn?

You sure can! If you really want this corn soup but only have frozen, use that.

However, you won’t be able to infuse the soup base with the corn ears. Skip that part and just add the corn when you add the rest of the veggies.

Close-up of a ladle scooping up some corn soup.

Can I Make Make This a Corn Chowder Instead of a Corn Soup?

If you want more of a corn chowder recipe, simply use less broth, about 3 to 3.5 cups of broth, instead of 5.

To further thicken, you can add a flour roux or cornstarch slurry during the last couple of minutes of cook time.

How to make a flour roux

A flour roux is simply equal parts flour and fat. To make a flour roux, melt unsalted butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add all-purpose flour, stirring to form a paste. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir into the corn chowder. Start with about 2 tablespoons of each. Remember, you can always add more, if you want things super thick.

How to make a cornstarch slurry

To make a cornstarch slurry, mix about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water in a cup, stirring to combine (cornstarch is more potent than flour so that’s why you need less). Add to the pot of soup, stirring in, during the last couple of minutes of cook time to thicken.

Two bowls of corn soup, each garnished with bacon, jalapeno and cilantro.

Tips and Variations

Smoked paprika was used here, but you can substitute with chipotle powder.
Don’t have sweet potato? You can totally use regular potato instead.
Want to bulk things up even further? Add some black beans!
Want to lighten things up? Considering using an alternative dairy (like half-and-half) instead of heavy cream.

More Easy Soup Recipes

If you make this homemade corn soup recipe, be sure to leave a comment below!