Lighter Crab Bisque

As the weather turns colder, I start thinking about all the fun things we do when we go to the beach.  I think it is a mind over matter thing.  If I think about the beach, the warm sand and the surf...maybe then I will feel warm.  It sorta works.  Either it's my mind over matter trick or the multiple layers I begin to wear this time of year.  In either case, I always have wonderful beach images to conjure up!  One of those images involves being at the beach after the sun sets.  We grab flashlights, go searching for crabs to scoop up and then release those sea creatures back to the sand.  When the girls were little, it involved all that PLUS a whole lot of squealing!  The girls, not the crabs!  Those suckers are hard to see and so dang fast that they would scare us half to death!  Such fun!  Although we didn't have the heart to catch any to actually eat, I have to say, it didn't stop us from eating them out at a restaurant.  I know, kind of morbid.  But crabs are delicious and in soup...specifically a crab bisque?  AHHH-MAAAAZ-ING!

So this is my lighter version of

Crab Bisque

This lighter version is just as creamy and full of crab!  You might even hear some seagulls because it will make you feel like you are at the beach.

Get your crab traps ready!

No, actually you can use canned crab.  :)

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup frozen chopped onion

1 tsp garlic minced

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup Pinot Grigio

1 14.5 oz diced, canned tomatoes

3 cups water

1 cup Pinot Grigio

1 cup fish stock

1 6oz can fancy white crab meat, drained

1 6 oz can fancy lump crab meat, drained

1 1/2 cup 2% milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp paprika

1/4 cup flour

4 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions:

Melt butter in a large saucepan.  Add frozen, chopped onion and garlic.  Cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add 1/4 cup flour.  Next add the 1/4 cup of wine and canned tomatoes.  After mixture has thickened, slowly add water, 1 cup Pinot Grigio and fish stock.  Scoop out some of the liquid and diced tomatoes.  Blend in a blender until liquified.  Return to the pot.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the crab meat and 2% milk.  Finally, add salt and pepper to taste, paprika and 1/4 cup of flour.  Once all blended, add the shredded Monterey Jack cheese.  Serve.

Lighter Crab Bisque printable recipe

You don't even need to catch crabs for this soup!

It's lighter, yet still has the creaminess of a bisque.

Toss in some oyster crackers and you are good to go!

Celebrate the little things that make life sweet,

Christine

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