MexicanEasy · Hot
Sopa de Tomate y Maíz con Cilantro y Limón
A warm, comforting Mexican tomato and corn soup brightened with fresh lime juice and garnished with fragrant cilantro. Simple enough for a Tuesday night, satisfying enough to become a family favorite.
Prep
15 min
Cook
30 min
Total
45 min
Method
Preparation
1
Dice the yellow onion finely. Mince the garlic cloves. Cut kernels from both ears of corn. Roughly chop the cilantro, reserving some pretty leaves for garnish. Juice both limes and set the juice aside.
Building the Sofrito
Cooking the Soup
3
Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
A
Nutri-Score
Excellent balance
A–E · lower is better · score -5
Calories
190
per serving
Low sugar · 11gLow saturated fat · 1g
Protein
5g
Carbs
30g
Fat
9g
Sat. fat
1g
Fiber
6g
Sugar
11g
Sodium
700mg
Gluten FreeDairy FreeVeganLow FatHeart HealthyAnti InflammatoryWeight ManagementHigh FiberBalanced Meal
Nutri-Score is a general nutritional-balance guide, not medical or dietary advice.
B
Environmental impact
Low impact
A–E · lower is better · includes estimates
kg CO2e
0.5
per serving
BCarbonAEU all-round· carbon sets the grade
Water
0.8m³
Land
10.0Pt
Runoff
0.04g P
Tomato drives 70% of this recipe’s estimated footprint.
Carbon from Poore & Nemecek 2018; water, land & runoff from Agribalyse — modelled averages for comparing recipes, not a measurement of your groceries.
Flavor Profile
6
Umami
4
Sweet
5
Salty
5
Sour
1
Bitter
1
Spicy
Textures
TenderSmoothSaucyChunky
Aromas
HerbalEarthyCitrusSavory
Kitchen Equipment
Primary Tool
Dutch OvenDutch OvenLadleChef KnifeCutting BoardCitrus JuicerMeasuring CupsMeasuring SpoonsPlastic WrapServing BowlsKitchen Towel
Counter FootprintMedium
Safety & Storage
Cooking Temperature
Bring soup to gentle boil then reduce to low simmer. Maintain gentle simmer for 20 minutes until flavors meld and corn is tender.
Cross Contamination
Use clean utensils and cutting boards when handling raw chicken broth container to prevent cross-contamination with other ingredients.
Storage
Transfer cooled soup to airtight container and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Consume within 3-4 days.
Shelf Life
Soup can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before reheating.
Handling
When juicing limes, avoid contact with eyes and cut fruit carefully. Use spoon or citrus reamer to extract juice efficiently.
Ingredient Preparation
Ensure olive oil is heated until shimmering before adding any ingredients. Add diced onion first and cook until translucent (3-4 minutes) before adding garlic and cumin to prevent raw vegetable consumption.
Pro Tips
Technique
When you cook the garlic and cumin in the oil, watch them carefully—sixty seconds is all you need. Burned garlic turns bitter, and there is nothing sadder than a soup that starts wrong.
Substitution
If you cannot find fresh corn, frozen kernels work in a pinch, but please do not use canned corn. The texture and sweetness are not the same.
From the chef
This is the soup my mother made when we needed something warm inside without spending all day in the kitchen. She always said a good tomato soup doesn't need cream or yellow cheese—it needs time for the tomatoes to soften and release their sweetness, a little cumin to give it warmth, and plenty of lime to wake everything up. My children ask for this every week, and now my grandchildren do too.
TagsMexican SoupTomato SoupCornComfort FoodLimeCilantroCuminEasyWeeknight DinnerOne PotTraditional
Source: generated · June 10, 2026