Mexican Corn Soup

Makes 6 first course portions or 4 main dish servings

3 cups frozen corn, thawed

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

1 TSP dried oregano

1 TSP chili powder

4 slices thick cut bacon

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

Dash of cayenne

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup heavy cream

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Cilantro and cotija cheese to garnish

Place 2 cups of chicken broth, two tomatoes, 1 ½ cups of corn, oregano and chili powder in a Dutch oven. Bring up to a simmer to soften vegetables. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, purée the mixture until smooth. You may need to tip the pot to have enough liquid to blend. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon onto a paper towel lined plate. Place the onions in the pan with the bacon grease and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook an additional 1 minute, or until fragrant. Pour the oil, garlic and onions into the soup. Put the soup back onto the heat and bring up to a simmer. Taste then season with salt and pepper. Add the heavy cream and fresh cilantro. Stir until combined. Serve garnished with Cotija cheese, crumbled bacon and more cilantro.

Adapted from Cooking Channel