AI-generated image
Crema de elote
Creamy corn soup
Crema de elote: Central Mexico's velvety fresh-corn soup topped with roasted poblano strips
Market fondas around Mexico City and Puebla ladle this pale-gold soup as the opening course of the comida corrida, the set lunch served from about two until four in the afternoon. Fresh kernels are simmered in milk with a little onion, blended until silky and finished with ribbons of roasted poblano, a few cubes of queso fresco and a swirl of crema. Sweet corn comes first, then a gentle green heat from the chile. Queso fresco is usually made with animal rennet, so choose one labelled vegetarian or use a mild vegetarian feta. Chef's tip: scrape the bare cobs with the back of a knife; that milky pulp thickens the soup without any flour.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the soup
- 4 corn on the cobkernels cut off, cobs scraped
- 1 oz butter
- ½ white onionchopped
- 1 clove garlicchopped
- 3 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 tsp salt
To serve
- 2 ⅛ oz vegetarian queso fresco (optional)crumbled
- 4 tbsp Mexican crema or soured cream (optional)
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Melt the 1 oz butter in a heavy pan over a medium heat and cook the ½ white onion for 5 minutes until soft and translucent, without letting it brown.
5 minStep 2: Add the 1 clove garlic and the 4 corn on the cob with all its scraped pulp. Stir for 4–5 minutes until the kernels turn a deeper yellow.
5 minStep 3: Pour in the 3 ¼ cups whole milk and 1 cup vegetable stock, add the 1 tsp salt and bring to a bare simmer. Cook gently for 15 minutes until the kernels are tender when pressed; don't let it boil hard or the milk catches on the base.
15 minStep 4: Meanwhile, char the 1 poblano chile directly over a gas flame or under a hot grill for 6–8 minutes, turning, until blackened all over. Seal it in a bowl for 10 minutes, then rub off the skin, remove the seeds and cut into thin strips.
10 minStep 5: Blend the soup until very smooth, then push it through a sieve. Skipping the sieve is the usual mistake: the tough corn skins make the soup grainy.
5 minStep 6: Reheat gently and check the salt. Serve topped with the poblano strips, 2 ⅛ oz vegetarian queso fresco and a swirl of 4 tbsp Mexican crema or soured cream.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 280 kcal
- Protein
- 9 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does crema de elote take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of white onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Filipino
Black bean tacos with lime slaw
Proof that a meat-free taco night can be the best one. The beans are mashed with chipotle and cumin so they hold together in the tortilla, and a quick lime slaw adds crunch.
Ful nabitSprouted fava bean soup
Sprouted beans are ladled out with their cooking liquor in Cairo homes when the weather turns cold or someone is feeling run down, and Egyptians swear by the broth as a pick-me-up. The beans are soaked and left to sprout for a few days, then simmered with onion, garlic and cumin into a light, earthy soup that is sharpened at the table with plenty of lemon. You can eat the beans with a spoon or pop them from their skins. Allow 3 to 4 days for sprouting, although the hands-on work is only about 20 minutes. People with G6PD deficiency (favism) must not eat fava beans. Chef's tip: stop the sprouting when the shoots are about 1 cm long; longer sprouts taste grassy and bitter.
Egyptian