Creamy Chicken Corn Soup

Tender chicken and sweet corn are combined in a creamy chicken corn soup with just enough heat to warm your mouth without setting it on fire.

Chicken Corn Soup

My entire family loves this soup, even my non-spice-loving middle son. He says it is a warm mouth feel not a screaming hot need to gulp ice water hot. That description and the immediate visual of him flailing around grabbing for water makes me grin.

Combine how tasty it is with the fact that it takes barely 20 minutes to pull this soup together, and you’ll understand why this is a frequently eaten meal in our house! Quick soups our on our meal plan often throughout the fall and winter.

I am often surprised by how a few simple ingredients with the right combination of spices can create such amazing flavors. It almost feels like magic. Tomatoes, green chile, corn, and chicken serve as the base of this soup.

When I first made this soup, I used our homemade corn stock. (If you haven’t made corn stock before, put it on your list to do this summer. You literally just boil the corn cobs after the corn is gone. That’s it.)

Chicken and Corn Soup

My initial plan to save it in the freezer didn’t happen. I just kept using that corn stock until it was gone. If you are like me though and don’t have any corn stock stashed away right now, chicken stock works great in this soup as well.

I’m counting down the days until sweet corn season so that I can get my fill of all our favorite corn recipes once again.

Rotisserie chicken makes this recipe as easy as can be, but you can use any leftover chicken you like. You could also quickly cook some last-minute chicken for the soup. (side note – I love that chicken so much!)

Cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne, and oregano build such warmth that is softened with the heavy cream. There’s a secret to adding cream to soups. Don’t just add it in when the soup is boiling away. The key is low heat.

You don’t want to boil or simmer on high any soup after you add the heavy cream. If you accidentally boil the cream, the fat in the cream can separate, resulting in those curd-like pieces.

Chicken Corn Soup Recipe

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this soup:

• butter
• garlic
• chicken stock or corn stock
• diced tomatoes with green chile
• chopped green chile 
• corn or fresh corn
• oregano
• cumin
• smoked paprika
• freshly ground black pepper
• cayenne pepper
• cooked chicken 
• heavy cream
• kosher salt 

If you are lucky enough to have an abundance of corn at your fingertips, here are a few more great recipes that we make every year. I loved the different flavors of the raw zucchini and corn. With a very light lime vinaigrette, this was a very fresh tasting salad.

Browned butter combines with fresh corn to create an unexpected and delicious side dish. This slightly spicy, tart and buttery corn was a hit with the entire family.

Fresh, sweet corn sauteed with Mexican spices and then tossed with lime was an excellent idea. I used just enough chile to provide flavor without any heat. If you want some added heat, simply increase the amount of chile powder.

Sweet and tender corn simmers in a rich cream sauce to make Crock Pot Creamed Corn. It is an unforgettable side dish like no other creamed corn.

Creamy Mexican Chicken and Corn Soup

5 from 1 vote

Tender chicken and sweet corn are combined in a creamy soup with just enough heat to warm your mouth without setting it on fire.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

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Ingredients 

• ▢ 2 teaspoons butter
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 6 cups chicken stock or corn stock
• ▢ 10 ounces diced tomatoes with green chile
• ▢ ½-1 cup chopped green chile about 4-7 ounces
• ▢ 30 ounces cans of corn drained or 3½ cups of fresh corn
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• ▢ 3 cups cooked chicken chopped bite-size
• ▢ ¾ cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2-3 teaspoons kosher salt TASTE the soup first and reduce this amount if you are using store-bought stocks

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the stock, tomatoes, green chile, corn, oregano, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce to a low simmer and add the chicken. Let it warm for a few minutes and then stir in the cream. Taste the soup and add salt as needed. Remove from the heat and serve.

Notes

FREEZER MEAL: This soup freezes well and can be reheated in the microwave straight from the freezer or allowed to thaw in the refrigerator and then reheated on the stove or in the microwave. I store it in two-cup containers for easy lunches.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal · Carbohydrates: 21g · Protein: 20g · Fat: 19g · Saturated Fat: 8g · Cholesterol: 78mg · Sodium: 899mg · Potassium: 525mg · Fiber: 1g · Sugar: 6g · Vitamin A: 665IU · Vitamin C: 7.7mg · Calcium: 44mg · Iron: 1.9mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

(originally posted 09/20/13 – notes and photos updated 2/23/23)