Corn and Crab Soup

 

Just when yesterday I felt hopeful upon seeing the Sun up in the air dazzling in the evening glow of twilight for an advent of spring, all my hopes are dashed today with the sky wearing a dismal weary look throughout the day and a constant humming of a strong gust of wind resonating through the air. Spring seems to be a distant dream now. My husband called me today in the evening, while he was on his way towards home from office, telling me to come outside so as to go to the market together for grocery shopping. I was just out for 2 minutes waiting for my hubby in the midst of heavy wind and those 2 minutes were sufficient to make me feel the wave of cold penetrating my bone and chilling it from inside. It was that bad; standing in the open for 2 minutes has become, for all intents and purposes, a nightmare. East coast is facing a storm warning in effect from Wednesday through Thursday and just as we faced during Sandy, the feel of the imminent storm is tangible in the wind even in Ohio. The very moment I begin to feel that we have had enough of snowing for this season; another round of snow falling comes to greet us. Pathetic truly!!

As readers regular to my blog might know that in order to spread consciousness about healthy eating habit among people I am celebrating a health week, and to serve the purpose an array of soup and salad recipes will preoccupy my blog throughout this week. So here goes another delightful soup recipe made with corn and crab. Very light yet fulfilling, this soup is ideal to spike your appetite.

 

 

Ingredients:                                                      Cooking time: 20 minutes ü  1 cup corn kernels ü  400 gm cooked crabmeat, shredded (easily available in the market) ü  5 shallots (finely chopped) ü  1 inch long ginger (chopped) ü  4-5 cloves of garlic (chopped) ü  1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (optional) ü  2 1/2 tbsp Thai fish sauce ü  5 1/2 cups of chicken stock ü  1 cup coconut milk (240 ml) ü  1 tbsp lemon grass herb blend or 2 stalks of lemon grass, finely chopped ü  1 tsp brown sugar ü  Juice from 1 lemon ü  Black pepper, taste wise ü  1 tsp nutmeg powder ü  Salt to taste ü  Fresh coriander leaves or cilantro, chopped for garnishing ü  1 tbsp of white oil Method: 1) Heat oil in a heavy bottom stock pot. Add shallots, ginger-garlic and shallow fry till they change color. Add corns, jalapeno pepper, chicken stock, coconut milk, black pepper and nutmeg powder. Add salt. Bring the soup to a boil. 2) Toss crab meat into the pot; add sugar, fish sauce and lemon grass herb blend. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. 3) Squeeze lemon juice finally into the soup and garnish with cilantro before serving.