Recipe Background
This creamy crab soup is luxurious and calming, perfect for new parenthood chaos.
Cooking up my first meal with a newborn was an unforgettable maze of chaos and craving. The tiny cries echoed through the kitchen as I searched for comforting familiarity in the midst of diapers and sleepless nights. This creamy crab soup became my haven of calm, its rich aroma wrapping around me like a warm hug on those bleary-eyed afternoons. Having thrived on crab during summers by the shore, incorporating it here just made sense. The buttery sweetness of the crab paired with the unexpected zing of cayenne pepper took the mundane out of maternity leave cuisine.
Methodically, I peeled and cubed the sweet potatoes while stealing glances at the baby monitor, reassuring myself that putting this together was an act of love. Leeks, thoroughly washed and finely chopped, contributed their gentle essence, and as they softened in a sizzling Dutch oven, I felt a semblance of tranquility. A splash of heavy cream right at the end was my secret indulgence, giving the dish its signature creaminess that satisfied both taste and texture. A tip: let each bowl sit just a few minutes before serving, allowing flavors to meld in a comforting symphony.
While gently heating the crab meat in a skillet, I found myself laughing at the precision I’d developed out of necessity. In those moments, with thyme drifting through the air and a perfect soup beginning to cool, I realized that this meal was more than sustenance. It was a reminder of my resilience and adaptability during a whirlwind season. Every reassuring spoonful was a quiet victory in our new life together.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 leeks thoroughly washed, white portions only, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 teaspoon salt divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves divided, plus more, to taste, for garnish
- 2 (6-ounce) cans lump crabmeat drained and picked-through
- croutons optional, to taste, homemade or store-bought, for garnish
Directions
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter.
- Add the leeks and the garlic to the melted butter and cook, while stirring, until the leeks are tender, about 4-6 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes, 3/4 teaspoon of the salt, the cinnamon, the cayenne, and the vegetable stock to the Dutch oven and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the Dutch oven.
- Allow the soup to simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, carefully purée the soup mixture until it is smooth.
- Add the heavy cream and 2 teaspoons of the thyme to the soup mixture and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and allow the soup to simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the remaining butter.
- Add the lump crabmeat, the remaining salt, and 2 teaspoons of the remaining thyme to the melted butter and cook, while stirring gently, until the crab is heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Using a ladle, evenly add the soup mixture to the intended serving bowls.
- Top each serving bowl with an even amount of the crab mixture.
- Serve topped with the croutons and the extra thyme.
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