Let’s create this flavorful and comforting Mexican Street Corn Soup:

1. Prepare Corn and Liquid for Slow Cooker:

• Husk the fresh corn. Stand each ear of corn on its end in a large bowl or on a cutting board. Carefully cut the kernels from the cobs using a sharp knife. You should have about 5-1/2 cups of kernels.
• Take each stripped cob and, using the dull edge (back) of your knife, scrape down the length of the cob over the bowl to “milk” it, extracting the remaining sweet corn liquid and pulp.
• Add enough of the 1 ¼ to 2 cups of water to this “cob juice” to equal a total of 2 cups of liquid.
• Add the fresh corn kernels and this 2 cups of corn liquid to the insert of a 5-quart slow cooker.

2. Cook Bacon and Sauté Aromatics:

• In a large skillet, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until it is crisp and evenly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the crispy bacon from the skillet and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Reserve this bacon for garnish.
• Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings from the skillet (if there’s more).
• Add the chopped onions, chopped green peppers, and finely chopped jalapeño pepper to the skillet with the reserved bacon drippings. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and slightly tender, about 3-4 minutes.
• Stir in the ground chipotle pepper, 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste), ¾ teaspoon ground cumin, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute longer until the spices are fragrant.

3. Combine and Slow Cook the Soup Base:

• Transfer the cooked vegetable and spice mixture from the skillet to the slow cooker with the corn and corn liquid. Stir gently to combine.
• Cover the slow cooker securely with its lid.
• Cook on the LOW heat setting for 3 ½ to 4 hours, or until the corn is very tender and the mixture has thickened slightly.

4. Finish with Cream and Lime:

• Once the soup base has cooked, turn off the slow cooker or switch to “Keep Warm.”
• Stir in the 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, the zest of 1 lime, and the juice of 1 lime. Stir well to combine.

5. Optional Puree:

• If you desire a creamier consistency for part or all of the soup, you can carefully use an immersion blender to puree some or all of the mixture directly in the slow cooker until it reaches your desired smoothness. Alternatively, transfer a portion to a regular blender, puree, and return to the pot (be cautious blending hot liquids).

6. Garnish and Serve:

• Ladle the hot Mexican Street Corn Soup into bowls.
• Garnish generously with the reserved crumbled crispy bacon.
• Sprinkle with optional toppings as desired, such as chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled cotija cheese, extra lime wedges for squeezing, sliced fresh jalapeño, or chopped fresh bell pepper.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

The “milked” cobs and bacon drippings add incredible depth of flavor