Elote-inspired shrimp and corn soup

This recipe combines the flavors of elote, or Mexican street corn, with chilies, shrimp, cojita cheese, and plenty of lime to make a spicy and tangy soup.

People are sleeping on using creamed corn as a soup base. I took ideas from my Cajun shrimp and corn bisque, which uses creamed corn. Creamed corn is simply corn plus its "milk," or the starchy pulp that can be scraped from the cob. Creamed corn makes the perfect creamy base for this soup, with no added thickener to detract from its "corny" flavor. 

Elote-inspired shrimp and corn soup

2 T butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 bell pepper, any color, or poblano, diced
2 jalapenos, diced, optional
1 T minced garlic
2 t Better than Bouillon (vegetable flavor or similar)
2 15 oz cans creamed corn
2 t chili powder
1 t chipotle powder (optional, if you like it spicy)
1/2 t salt
1 lb medium raw shrimp, shells removed
1 cup fresh or frozen grilled corn
1 1/2 cup sour cream
water to thin as needed
3 T lime juice

Garnish:
crumbled cojita cheese
cilantro to garnish

In a Dutch oven, sauté onion and peppers until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 30 more seconds. Add Better than Bouillon, creamed corn, and seasonings, and bring to a simmer. It may seem a bit thick, but you will add ingredients later that will thin it. Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in shrimp and frozen corn. Simmer for about 5 more minutes, until shrimp are cooked through. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream, which will thin it out. Soup should have a chowder-like consistency. If it is too thick for your liking, add water to thin. Stir in lime juice. Garnish with chopped cilantro and cojita cheese. Serves 5 main course servings.