Join us online for KindSoup for Students as we make a Creamy Mexican Corn Soup (based on this recipe from One Hot Oven). After completing your soup, and sharing some with your family, freeze and label the rest for donation, then drop off at one of our participating food assistance providers.
Students can earn 1 Student Service Learning Hour for every 2 quarts of frozen soup made with the group and delivered to others. There is a maximum of 10 quarts that can qualify for any given day (5 SSL hours). Most recipes render at least 6 quarts of soup, 3 SSL hours.
In order to receive SSL Hours
- Take a picture during preparation, of the finished product, and at delivery
- report on where you shared your KindSoup
- Complete this SSL Form
Creamy Mexican Corn Soup
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 15.5 oz. cans pinto beans drained
- 3 15.5 oz. cans kidney beans drained
- 6 cups frozen corn
- 11/2 cup green pepper seeded and diced
- 11/2 cup red pepper seeded and diced
- 11/2 cup dried pasilla chile seeded and chopped, or other chile
- 3 jalapenos seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 7 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 cups cream of choice: heavy cream (original recipe), half n half (a little lighter!) or coconut (better if freezing)
- 3 tsp. cumin
- 3 tsp. onion powder
- 3/4 tsp. ground red pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3/4 lb cheddar cheese grate this to make 3 cup of shredded cheese
- 6 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Corn and Bean Soup Toppings (optional)
- sour cream
- shredded cheese
- lime
- diced onion
Soup Instructions
- Prep your ingredients first by draining the beans, chopping the garlic, and seeding and dicing the peppers.
- Place a large stockpot on medium heat. Once the pot is hot, add the olive oil.
- Add the corn to the pot and cook for about a minute. Then stir in the peppers, garlic, and dry seasonings. Cook, stirring often, for about three minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the spices are fragrant.
- Add the beans and the chicken stock to the corn mixture, stir well, then bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and let cook at a simmer for 15 minutes, until the peppers are tender.
- While the soup is simmering, shred the cheddar cheese using a box grater or a microplane cheese grater; this should yield 3 cups of shredded cheese.
- Add the cream (half n half or coconut) to the soup pot and stir well. Bring the soup back to a simmer then add the cheese in small batches, stirring between batches so it melts easily, then stir in the cilantro. Taste the soup to adjust any season and let simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve the soup hot. Add any of the optional toppings.
Notes
This soup is adaptable to your tastes.
Feel free to substitute different types of beans, peppers, and cheeses to suit your tastes or even to what ingredients you have on hand.
Pasilla chile – You can substitute a fresh Pasilla pepper for the dried chile pepper.
Using Freshly Shredded Cheese
I highly recommend using freshly shredded cheese which you grate from a block of cheese over pre-shredded cheese, which many times contains starch that inhibits melting.
How to Store Bean Soup
Store any leftover Corn and Bean Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
This soup freezes well. It’s is best to let the soup thaw overnight and then reheat over a low setting.
Health and Safety Information
In order to protect the the quality of our KindSoup program, we ask that volunteers conscientiously observe the following guidelines:
- Start with clean hands and wash again frequently as needed throughout the cooking process.
- Start with clean kitchen surfaces and utensils (antibacterial wipes do a great job).
- Keep longer hair tied back.
- Follow other common sense procedures, such as never returning a tasting spoon to the pot!
Thank you for maintaining a high cleanliness standard for our KindSoup donations!
STUDENTS:
Prior to our Sunday, August 2nd cooking session:
- Confirm your participation by signing up at the bottom of this page
- Gather your ingredients
- Make sure that you have either a Soup Pot large enough to hold all of this soup, or two smaller ones that will together hold it all
- Have 6 quart sized plastic soup containers with tight fitting lids (ask your neighbors if you could have theirs rather than them recycling them – they will be thrilled)
Have all of your ingredients and cooking tools out and ready for when you sign on to our zoom at 5pm. (long hair should be tied back, and everyone should start with freshly washed hands and gloves if you have them) You can start peeling and chopping your veggies while you wait for us to begin.
Everyone’s first name should identify them on our zoom screen please.
See you soon!!
How to Donate Your KindSoup
Seal containers with a tight lid and freeze. Label each container with: date prepared, your first name and last initial, “Creamy Mexican Corn Soup” and common allergens (such as nuts, eggs, wheat, dairy, vegan or vegetarian as appropriate) – which we will discuss on the call. Within one week, drop containers of frozen soup off at one of the following participating food assistance providers, and can give one quart away also to a person or family that is in your heart and/or going through a difficult time. You will report all KindSoups that you shared – with to the food assistance organization, or to those people whom you know.
- Rainbow Community Development Center 12120 Tech Road, Silver Spring (this takes you to the rear parking lot and loading dock – there is usually a large RAINBOW truck parked here): Drop-off Monday-Friday 9am-2pm. NOTE: If you go during Rainbow’s food distributions on Tuesdays/Thursdays from 9am-noon, you may see a long line of cars – you can drive past the cars to drop off your KindSoup. If you go at other times and the garage or back door is not open, call or text Anna on her personal cell at 301-852-4184 (if she doesn’t answer, leave a message and she should get back within a few minutes, or try calling the Rainbow Pantry cellphone: 240-639-2293).
- So What Else 4924 Wyaconda Road, Rockville, 240-705-4345. (Look for the Dogtopia. Drive straight past Doptopia to get to our parking lot. The entrance will be on the right hand side as you pull into the parking lot. After you park, walk up to the glass door at the bottom of the black ramp, ring the doorbell, let the team know you’ve arrived to drop off KindSoups): Drop-off Tuesday-Friday 10am-4pm and Saturdays 7am-12pm.
- Upcounty Consolidation Hub 12900 Middlebrook Rd., Germantown (supporting 1,000 families with food and other supports). Drop off Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Fridays 8 am-4:30 pm.
- Embry Rucker Shelter 11975 Bowman Towne Drive, Reston, 703-437-1975. Leave donations on the table around the back. Drop off anytime!
Here are some options for donating outside the DC area:
- NYC Community Fridges located throughout New York City.
- Bread and Roses 58 Newbury St., Lawrence, Mass., 978-681-8768. Drop off Mondays-Thursdays, 10 am-4 pm.
- The Bristol Lodge 27 Lexington St., Waltham, Mass., 781-893-0108. Drop off Mondays-Fridays, 9am-6pm.
- Community Refrigerators located in Los Angeles
See you in the KindSoup kitchen!
Learn more about this KindWorks program
Online KindSoup for Students
Date: August 2, 2026
