My favorite thing about fall is homemade soup. I love a soup that takes all day, it’s like an art. But, since I am a very busy working mom, as I assume quite a few of you are too, I also need a really delicious soup that I can make after work. I invented this soup because I adore clam chowder, but I’m not a huge fan of the clams that you buy at the grocery store. Crab, in all it’s delicious splendor, was a fine substitution. I added the avocados because I live Southern California, a very avocado heavy place. If you ever make it out west, make it a mission of yours to stop by a farmers market (we get to have them year round in these parts) and have one for yourself.
Avocado Crab Chowder
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups potatoes, peeled, chopped
1 cup corn kernels (I used Trader Joe’s Fire Roasted Corn Kernels)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp chili powder
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp chili pepper sauce (Such as Tapatillo or Tabasco)
2 6oz cans crab meat (lump or claw meat if you can find it), drained
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 large avocados, chopped
In a large pot, melt the better over medium/high heat. Saute the onions until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and allow to boil until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, Old Bay, and chili powder, stir to combine. Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth, and then pour in the cream, stir to combine. Return to heat, add the corn, and allow to boil until thickened, stirring frequently,about 5 minutes. Add the chili pepper sauce, crab meat, and lemon juice and stir to combine. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Pour into serving bowls, garnish with avocado.
