One of our favorite things in the world is a dish known as elote con mayonesa. It’s Mexican street food at its best: boiled corn brushed with mayo and then sprinkled with Cotija cheese, chili salt, and a squeeze of lime. This chowder has the same wonderful flavor combination.
7 medium ears of corn (about 4 cups of kernels; frozen is fine)
1 ½ cups diced onion (about 1 medium)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper (from a can)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 teaspoon iodized sea salt
½ cup crumbled Cotija cheese (use feta cheese if Cotija is unavailable)
1 cup loose-packed cilantro leaves
½ cup sour cream (optional)
1 lime, sliced into wedges
Peel the corn and remove all the silks by running a wet paper towel over the kernels. Remove the kernels by standing the ear on its end and carefully running a sharp knife down the length of the ear of corn on all sides. Do this in a large bowl. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, sweat the onion in a tablespoon of olive oil. Once the onion starts to brown, add the broth, chipotle pepper, garlic, and 3 cups of the corn kernels. Bring the soup to a boil by raising the heat to high. Then reduce to a simmer, cover, and allow the mixture to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and blend the mixture smooth with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the stovetop and add the remaining 1 cup of corn for texture.
Mix the ancho chili powder and the sea salt together in a small bowl to make chili salt. Ladle the chowder into a bowl, and top with a ¼ teaspoon of chili salt, a tablespoon of Cotija cheese, a few cilantro leaves, a spoonful of sour cream, and a squeeze of lime.
Makes 4 servings as a first course or 2 as a main dish.