Corn and Green Chile Bisque

In the years that I've posted on this food blog, I've learned that all food cannot be aesthetically pleasing. I'm sure this soup could look beautiful in appropriate lighting and with the correct dishes. But the soup looks like baby food, to be kind. However, I refuse to keep this recipe from the blog simply because it does not look as appetizing as other things on this blog! This delicious meal has a backstory! Since moving to Seattle, we've gotten hooked on the corn and green chile bisque from the Metropolitan Market. We tried this soup shortly after we moved and now probably go there at least once a week to grab a bowl to go with a side of Macrina bakery potato roll (or olive roll). It's delicious and my favorite take-out meal of all time. That's saying a lot.

But it's also super devastating when we head into the store to find out that they don't have the soup on the daily rotation. This has happened all too often so I decided it was necessary to find the recipe to make in our own kitchen. Nope. The grocer has other ideas. I've searched everywhere online but cannot find this top-secret recipe. So, the last time I was there, Ron grabbed a bowl and I turned over the sign to check out the ingredients and attempt some adapting at home. This recipe isn't the same creamy bisque that is served at the Metropolitan Market (probably because it lacks heavy cream!). But it's quite a delicious substitution to satisfy for the Metropolitan's recipe. The recipe uses a lot of canned ingredients but you can easily use freshly shucked corn, chiles, and tomatoes in lieu of the cans. But the cans save some time to make this a quick meal and absolutely delightful. Enjoy this on your next chilly fall day!

And as the potato roll is an absolute necessity to pair with the soup, I decided to try my hand at baking my own potato loaf from the Macrina Bakery cookbook. This cookbook is incredible, Macrina Bakery is a must-visit, and the bread was amazing! Recipe will follow. . .

Corn and Green Chile Bisque

adapted from Sassy Dining and inspired by Metropolitan Market

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 jalepeno, minced and seeded (unless you want some heat!)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 Tbsp flour
• 2 x 14 oz cans corn, rinsed and drained
• 2 small cans diced green chiles
• 1 x 14 oz can chopped tomatoes with chiles
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 T chili powder
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup half & half
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, jalapeno, red and green bell peppers, and saute but do not brown. Add 3 Tbsp of flour to the onions and peppers; stir.
2. Add the corn, green chiles, and tomatoes; stir.
3. Add the spices, milk, half and half, and broth; stir.
4. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer for 20-30 minutes until blended together. Taste then season with salt and pepper.
5. With an immersion blender, pulse the soup but do not puree. Soup should be chunky. (Alternatively, you can transfer soup to a blender or food processor and pulse.