Soup Recipe

Chunky Potato-Crab Chowder
from Cooking Light, October 2003

This easy New England-style chowder lets the red-skinned potatoes shine. Cream-style corn is a surprise ingredient that adds a little sweetness and contributes to the creamy texture.

My notes: Big hit at our family dinner to celebrate Thirdborn's baptism. We tripled the recipe and used crab and shrimp. Easy to put together. It was nice to have a seafood chowder that I didn't feel guilty about eating.

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 cups (1-inch) cubed red potato (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
8 ounces lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add potato; sauté 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk, thyme, pepper, nutmeg, corn, and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in crab, parsley, and salt; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)CALORIES 265 (23% from fat); FAT 6.8g (sat 3.8g,mono 1.9g,poly 0.6g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 47mg; CALCIUM 176mg; CARBOHYDRATE 36.5g; SODIUM 968mg; PROTEIN 16.3g; FIBER 3.1g Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2003