Mexican Street Corn Soup

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil
6 cups fresh corn kernels , from 8-10 cobs (save 6 of the stripped cobs for simmering the soup)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (depending on your heat preferences), plus additional to taste
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic , chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Cotija cheese , plus additional for garnish (substitute Parmesan or Romano if Cotija is unavailable)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro , divided

Heat oil in an exceedingly giant, slippy pot or Dutch kitchen appliance till shimmering. Add corn kernels, cut onion, 1/8 teaspoon flavoring, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring oftentimes, till onions ar soft and corn is lightweight golden brown in spots, concerning ten minutes.

Add garlic and cook till odorous, 1 minute. take away 1-1/2 cups of corn mixture from the pot and put aside. Stir broth and half dozen stripped corn cobs into the pot, scraping up the brown bits on all-time low. wake up a boil, scale back heat, and simmer for twenty minutes.

Stir soured cream and Cotija into the soup. Transfer soup to a liquidizer or kitchen appliance (in batches, betting on the dimensions of your unit for safety), or use Associate in Nursing immersion liquidizer to puree soup till swish.

come back soup to pot and if required, gently heat to desired serving temperature. Stir in 0.5 (3/4 cup) of the reserved corn mixture, lime juice, and a couple of tablespoons cut cilantro. Season to style with salt, pepper, and flavoring.

Toss remaining 3/4 cup corn with lime zest and a couple of teaspoons cut cilantro. Serve soup, screw-topped with a number of spoonfuls of the corn mixture, and an additional sprinkling of Cotija, if desired.