I’m not going to lament about the weather – we all know the West Coast is in a drought and both the Midwest and Eastern seaboard have been buried in snow and ice for the last several weeks. But today the sun is shining and I see the icicles falling one-by-one as the temperatures head into the 40-degree range; I have a deep case of wanderlust and am itching to grab my gear and head out the door.
I am ready to welcome spring with my chubby arms wide open; I’ve been dreaming about planting my garden, making another batch of Perry or Pear Cider from our tree, perusing the wares of farmer’s markets and possibly adding the bees to our gardens that we didn’t do last season.
We’re ready to travel and tell stories, we’re ready to meet new people; we’ve built a small kitchen in our shoot studio and we’d like to teach a few gluten-free cooking classes. Yes, spring is close at hand and while we needed the respite of winter, spring cannot come soon enough – there is much to do, much to explore, much to be inspired by and much to learn in 2014 (I feel as if I should break into song here: ‘It’s a Whole New World’).
Like many of those ‘holidays’ that appear on our calendar, Valentine’s Day has come and gone but this soup is just as good for a ‘non-celebratory’ dinner or weeknight meal. A few blistered or roasted red peppers, cream, lump crab, a bit of mayo, a few hours of chill time and this is a dinner worth celebrating indeed.
RED PEPPER & TOMATO SOUP WITH GLUTEN-FREE CRAB CAKES
Serves approximately 4 as a Main Course
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 18-ounce jar roasted red peppers
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
- 1 18-ounce jar diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
- 4 crab cakes – recipe to follow
- parsely and thinly sliced scallions for garnish (optional)
METHOD:
- Coarsely chop 4 peppers and place in a blender; add tomatoes and red pepper flakes and blend until smooth
- In a large Dutch oven, add pureed peppers/tomatoes mixture and chicken stock; add salt and pepper and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes
- Add smoked paprika and taste; adjust seasonings if necessary
- Whisk in cream and pecorino Romano cheese
- Divide soup among 4 shallow bowls; place 1 crab cake in the center, sprinkle with parsely and scallions if using; serve immediately
FOR THE CRAB CAKES
Ever so slightly adapted from Andrew Zimmerman
Makes 8 crab cakes
NOTE: The ONLY substitution I made to this recipe is using gluten-free crackers; additionally, I’m not a fan of Old Bay Seasoning but if your crab cakes must have Old Bay, by all means add it to your mix
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha
- 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
- 20 gluten-free crackers, finely crushed (we like the ‘Absolutely’ brand but feel free to use your favorite)
- 1/4 cup canola oil
METHOD:
- In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and sriracha until smooth
- In a medium bowl, lightly toss the crabmeat with the cracker crumbs; gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture; cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight
- Scoop the crab mixture into eight 1/3-cup mounds; lightly pack into 8 patties, about 1 1/2 inches thick
- In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering; add the crab cakes and cook over moderately high heat until deeply golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side
- Serve with soup
MAKE AHEAD: The crab cakes can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight
I’m SO ready for spring too and a big bowl of this soup!