Learn how to make a sweet, zingy chicken corn soup! Part of the soup is blended to create a slight creaminess, while still having bites of texture from potatoes, chicken, and sweet summer corn. It’s layered with amazing flavor and a soup my husband is constantly asking me to make!
If you’re looking for a recipe to kickstart soup season, this end-of-summer corn soup is the perfect place to start. But this recipe doesn’t just have to use summer corn, you can also make it yearround with frozen corn – the results are both equally as delicious!
Drew, my husband, has a slight obsession with corn for whatever reason and he goes crazy when I make this. So if you love corn, I think this recipe will suit you well! It has a little bit of a Tex-Mex influence with flavors, but is not entirely committed in that direction. It’s hearty, flavorful, and yet light at the same time! The flavors are wonderful and it’s a soup my family genuinely loves. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!
Ingredients
Full instructions and ingredients in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Corn (plus 1-2 cobs) – Fresh corn is best, but you can use frozen too. If you’re using fresh, save 1 to 2 cobs for simmering in the soup – that way we have even more corn flavor infused!
Chicken breasts – for some added protein and to make the soup more filling.
Aromatics – For flavoring the base, red or yellow onion, garlic, and celery are used. Keep the cuts on these small, so they blend nicely into the soup! Big chunks of veggies aren’t very pleasant in soups unless it’s a stew.
Poblano – for a southwest flavor, a poblano is used which pairs perfectly with the corn.
Yellow potatoes – for heartiness and also to add a bit of creaminess when part of the soup is blended. I am not a huge fan of adding cream to soups, so I think the potatoes work really nicely for that.
Seasoning – for some more flavor chili powder is used along with red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder.
Broth – chicken broth is used as the liquid but you can also do chicken stock and part water if needed! I don’t recommend doing all water, because chicken stock will have more flavor.
How to Make Chicken Corn Soup
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1
Saute the veggies. In a large pot, saute in butter the onion, poblano, corn, and celery for 4-5 minutes with a generous pinch of salt.
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2
Add the garlic. For the last minute, add the minced garlic and cook with the vegetables.
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3
Add remaining ingredients. Then add the chicken breasts, potatoes, chicken stock, garlic powder and onion powder, and corn cobs with a generous sprinkle of salt and pinch of black pepper.
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4
Simmer. Cover and place the soup on a low to medium heat to gently simmer for 25-30 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and the chicken cooked through.
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5
Cut the chicken. First, remove the chicken and let cool for several minutes before carefully cutting into bite-size pieces.
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6
Blend part of the soup. Before transferring the chicken back to the pot, carefully transfer three cups of the soup to a heat-safe blender and blend until creamy.
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7
Add back to the pot. Carefully transfer the blended portion of the soup and the chopped chicken back to the pot.
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8
Taste then serve. Taste the soup, season with more salt or pepper if needed, garnish with cilantro if desired then serve!
Tips for Success
Use frozen or fresh corn. I’ve used both fresh and frozen corn in this recipe, so you can make it any time of the year. If you have it available, I recommend using fire-roasted corn as that will add even more flavor to the soup! Fresh corn has the benefit of using the cobs to infuse flavor, but either works just fine.
Blend the soup before adding the chopped chicken back to the pot. This can cause a bit of a headache if these steps get out of order. Be sure to blend the soup before the chicken is added or you’ll either find yourself picking chicken pieces out of the soup for awhile or your left blending chicken into it. I’ve learned from experience. 😉
Chicken Corn Soup
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 red or yellow onion, diced small
- 2 celery ribs, diced small
- 1 poblano pepper, seeds removed and diced small
- 4 yellow potatoes, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 6 cups corn (frozen or fresh)
- 2 corn cobs, optional if using frozen corn
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 5 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 chicken breasts
- Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté in butter on medium heat the onion, poblano, corn, and celery for 4-5 minutes with a generous pinch of salt. For the last minute, add the minced garlic and cook with the vegetables.
- Then add the chicken breasts, potatoes, chicken stock, garlic powder and onion powder, and corn cobs with a generous sprinkle of salt and pinch of black pepper.
- Cover and gently simmer the soup on a low to medium heat for 25-30 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and the chicken cooked through.
- Remove the chicken and let cool for several minutes before carefully cutting into bite-size pieces.
- Before transferring the chicken back to the pot, carefully transfer three cups of the soup to a heat-safe blender and blend until creamy.
- Carefully transfer the blended portion of the soup and the chopped chicken back to the pot.
- Taste the soup, season with more salt or pepper if needed, garnish with cilantro if desired then serve!
Bethany, this sounds so good! I watched the video, and you’re the only person I’ve seen cut kernels from corn the same way I do…start halfway down! Much easier with less kernels flying all over. Can’t wait to try this. YES to the cilantro!👍🏻