THAI COCONUT CURRY CRAB SOUP

Asian|Gluten-free|Seafood|Soups and Chowders

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks lemon grass (about 10-12”)

1 medium onion, chopped

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1, 3” piece of ginger root, peeled and minced

1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (including seeds)

1 Thai chili, finely chopped (omit if you don’t like spicy)

5-ounces shitake mushroom caps, sliced (or sub your favorite sliced mushrooms)

3 tablespoons red curry paste

2, 13.5-ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk

4 cups seafood or chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

2 medium-large carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” thick slices

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 small yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped

3 cups cooked basmati or jasmine rice

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed

1, 8 ounce package Phillips Premium Special Crab Meat

1, 8 ounce package Phillips Premium Lump Crab Meat

½ cup cilantro, chopped (plus more leaves for garnish)

¼ cup scallions, chopped

Lime wedges for garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat.

Cut the lemon grass stalks into 4-5” pieces and smash them with a meat tenderizer or the back side of your knife until the stalk is broken and the inner layers are visible (this allows the flavor to escape into the soup). Add these to the hot oil along with the onions, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, Thai chili, and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add the coconut milk, stock, salt, carrots, red and yellow peppers to the pot and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes or until the carrots are tender when pierced with a fork.

Add the rice, fish sauce, brown sugar, and all of the crab meat to the pot and cook for 10 more minutes on low, gently stirring occasionally, careful not to break up the crab lumps.

Just before serving, stir in the cilantro and scallions. Remove the lemon grass pieces and discard.

Serve hot, garnished with more cilantro, scallions, and lime wedges.

Serves 8

This beautiful soup is packed with Thai-inspired flavors of coconut milk, red curry, ginger, lemongrass, garlic, and peppers. It is loaded with umami deliciousness from the beautiful crab meat, shiitake mushrooms, and fish sauce. Every craveable bite has the perfect amount of heat from jalapeño and Thai chilies that keep you going back for more. This one pot meal is easy to make and the perfect meal for busy weeknights or a dinner party with friends.