butternut squash and crab bisque
October 31st, 2009
In addition to their fabulous homemade peanut butter, one of my all-time favorites at Whole Foods is their warm butternut squash crab bisque. Oh my word – this soup is amazing! I still remember the first time a friend introduced it to me a few years ago, and I had my first taste of the brilliant sweet butternut squash and salty crab combination. It’s without a doubt my kind of comfort food. Absolutely delicious!
So of course, ran home and immediately had to figure out how to make it myself. A quick Google search came up with this recipe, and I’ve been using it ever since – with a few modifications. :) The original called for a cup of heavy cream, but I always use milk (or occasionally half-and-half) and still think it’s fantastic. I also added in a little extra crab, as I felt that its flavor was overpowered by the squash in the original recipe.
It’s a little more than a 30-minute meal, but well, well worth the effort. Plus, this makes an enormous batch, so it’s great for serving a crowd or yummy leftovers. A must-try during squash season!!
Butternut Squash & Crab Bisque Recipe
(Adapted from Rocky Mountain News)
Ingredients:
- 4 large cloves garlic, roasted
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup fresh carrots, diced
- 1 cup fresh celery, diced
- 1 quart chicken broth, divided use
- 1 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup half and half (or milk)
- 12 ounces crab claw meat
- Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Prepare roasted garlic while you prepare the veggies. (For instructions on how to peel/seed/cut butternut squash, see here.)
In a large (at least 5 quart) soup pot over medium heat, add the olive oil. Once butter is melted, add squash, onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute 5 minutes.
Add 3 cups of broth, reserving the rest. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until squash is very tender (about 30 minutes).
Add the half-and-half (or milk) and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until very smooth (or blend in batches in blender and return to pan). Thin with remaining broth if desired.
Fold in the crab meat and sage. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve.
Ali’s Tip:
I love also adding in a dash of cayenne and/or paprika into this soup for some added depth and a little heat. But the recipe stands well on its own as well!
This looks fabulous. Definitely bookmarked for later!
This looks perfect for a crisp fall evening. I can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks for sharing.
I just made this an I’m in heaven. I can’t believe how creamy and succulent butternut squash can be. Thanks for the great recipe. I found you through the closet kitchen blog. keep up the good work
Just made this today, and it is amazing! Thank you for sharing it. I’m enjoying your website!!
Superb recipe, making it for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Thanks for all your good cooking!
Do you have any recommendations for the kind of crab to buy? Having never bought and used crab for a recipe I opted to try a canned version for the easiness of it. I used Chicken of the Sea Brand White Canned Crab meat and it had little tiny shell/hard pieces in it! icky. My soup was still absolutely wonderful but I could have done without the little hard bits! Thanks!
Eeks! I’ve never found bits of shell in my crab before. What an unpleasant surprise!! :S
I think I actually have used Chicken of the Sea before, as well as whatever other brands our various local grocery stores have on hand. (I’m not sure where you live, but in the Midwest, we don’t get too many options on crab.) But have never found shells thus far. Hmmm…wondering if I’ve just been lucky, or if you maybe had a bad batch…or what. Either way, sorry to hear that was your experience! Hoping for better luck next time!