Recipe by Chef Manny
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups of corn kernels (from about 8 ears)
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups of low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest, plus 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice, divided
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
- Sweet paprika, for garnish
- Sliced jalapeño, for garnish
Instructions
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and light golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add corn and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until corn is bright and crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer 1½-2 cups of the corn to a medium heatproof bowl; set aside.
Add broth, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt to saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, until corn is tender and flavors meld, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Working in batches, if necessary, transfer the soup to a blender and carefully puree until smooth, about 30 seconds. Return soup to pot and stir in heavy cream and 3 tablespoons lime juice. Rewarm soup over medium, if necessary, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Combine reserved corn mixture with lime zest, remaining 1 tablespoon lime juice, cotija, cilantro, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
Ladle soup into bowls and top with spoonfuls of corn mixture. Drizzle with crema, sprinkle with paprika, and top with jalapeño.
Notes
The spice measurements are suggestions, feel free to add more if you like a little more kick.
When processing the corn form the cob, use the back side of the knife to drag across the cob after removing the kernels and get the “Milk” from the cob as well, as this adds another level of creaminess to the dish.
You can make this vegan by substituting the sour cream for vegan sour cream and substituting the cotija cheese for vegan feta and substituting the heavy cream with plant based heavy cream and make use a vegan chicken broth or just vegetable broth.