Mexican Street Corn Soup

My husband enjoys this soup because of all the different toppings you can add to it.  I got the original recipe from thestayathomechef and then added black beans and Monterey Jack cheese to it to make it even more fun. 

INGREDIENTS

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 small sweet onion chopped
• 1 jalapeno minced (optional)
• 5 cloves garlic crushed
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 6 cups frozen corn kernels
• 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream half and half, or milk
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro

Toppings:

Crumbled cooked bacon

cotija cheese

fresh squeeze of lime juice

jalapeno slices

tortilla chips, fritos, breadsticks, or oyster crackers

more cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

• Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add in the onions and minced jalapeno and sauté for about 5 minutes, then stir in garlic and cook an additional 1 minute.
• Stir in the flour, cumin, and chili powder and cook 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock until smooth and bring to a boil. Add in the corn, sugar, and salt. Once it returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes.
• Stir in cream and monterey jack cheese and cilantro. Serve topped with crumbled bacon, cotija, and jalapeno slices.