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butternut squash and green crab soup
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It has been a long time since I posted anything on this blog. I am still working full-time as a family nurse practitioner at the clinic seeing patients. Despite the long hours I managed to stay healthy perhaps due to eating a copious amount of green crabs! 😃
Recently Dr. Becca Selden, from the Department of Biological Sciences at Wellesley College in Massachusetts invited me for a green crab cooking demo. I made 2 simple soups for the students and faculty to try. I was pleased and impressed to see so many students excited about eating green crabs! One of the soups was a butternut squash and green crab soup. I made it using coconut milk instead of dairy in case anyone was lactose intolerant. Luckily no one there had any food allergy or issues which made me very happy.
Butternut Squash and Green Crab Soup
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash (about 2 1/2 to 3 lbs)
Olive oil
1 head of garlic
1 small white or yellow onion
3 1/2 to 4 C Basic Green Crab Stock (see recipe below)
1 C coconut milk
About 1/2 tsp salt to taste
About 1/2 tsp white or black pepper to taste
Coconut Drizzle (see recipe below)
Method:
Peel and cut the butternut squash in half. Remove and discard the seeds. Slice the squash about 1/2 inch thick. Line in a single layer on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Wrap the whole garlic in foil (may drizzle with oil if interested). Roast the squash and garlic in a preheated oven at 400 degrees F until the squash is fork tender, about 25-30 minutes. May broil for the last 5-10 minutes if interested. Peel and dice the onion. Saute the onion in a little olive oil until translucent and soft. Puree the roasted butternut squash, roasted garlic, sauteed onion, broth and coconut milk. Heat the pureed mixture until hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk well to blend and serve hot with some coconut drizzle (see recipe below).
Coconut Drizzle
Ingredients:
Approximately 1 Tbsp of cornstarch
Approximately 1 Tbsp water
1/2 C coconut milk
Pinch of salt
Method:
Mix the cornstarch and water until well blended. Cook this with coconut milk and salt. Whisk to blend. Drizzle over the butternut squash and green crab soup to garnish.
I have posted a few green crab stocks with ingredients besides green crabs and water. This particular basic stock is made with just 2 ingredients, green crabs and water. When I make my stock I avoid adding salt unless I plan on using it immediately. You can make any stock as concentrated as you prefer. If you make a concentrated stock then you will need less water, which to me means less storage space in the refrigerator or freezer. In general my green crabs to water ratio is about 15 crabs for 2-6 cups of water. These green crabs vary in size so my water will depend on this and how concentrate I prefer. Don't be afraid to experiment. Most of the time I clean the crabs, crush them and add water. I don't focus on any particular crab to water ratio and I hope you don't either. You may check out these posts: How to Process Green Crabs Humanely, How to Prepare Green Crabs for Making Stock, Simple Green Crab Stock, and Green Crab Stock For Chowders.
Basic Green Crab Stock
Ingredients:
Crabs
Water
Method:
Remove the carapace, gills, apron and mouth from each crab. Wash well in cold to remove all the mud and sand. Crush the crabs, put them in a large pot and add water. Boil gently and stir occasionally for about 25-30 minutes. Strain right away or let it cool and strain. Before using may add more water if the stock is too concentrated for your taste. May compost the shells.
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