Sweet Pepper Crab Soup

Sweet Pepper Crab Soup is a classic dish that can be served as an appetizer, main or even dessert. Perfect for crab lovers and for those who dislike it. It’s really easy to make and can be prepped in roughly 20 minutes. This recipe I’ve provided has some tips from my elder family members on variations.

Sweet Pepper Crab Soup

Ingredients send grocery list

• Olive oil
• 3 Red peppers
• ¹/₄ cup diced onion
• 1 Clove garlic, minced
• Splash White wine
• 2 cups Chicken stock
• ¹/₂ teaspoon Thyme
• ¹/₄ teaspoon Crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 Ear corn
• Fresh crab meat for garnish (lump, backfin, claw, etc)

Directions

1. Heat the broiler. Place entire peppers on a baking pan and lightly brush with olive oil. Roast the peppers for roughly 10 minutes per side under the broiler, flipping the peppers as the skin blisters and turns black on each side.
2. Peppers should be put in a bowl, wrapped with plastic wrap, and let to sit for 20 minutes. Peel and remove the skin, stems, and seeds from the peppers when they have cooled. Chop into bits roughly.
3. Olive oil and diced onion should be cooked in a pot over medium heat until transparent. Deglaze with a splash of white wine after adding the garlic. 30 minutes of simmering with the addition of chicken stock, peppers, thyme, and crushed red pepper.
4. Olive oil is heated in a big pan over medium high heat while simmering. A cleaned ear of corn is rolled around till it is burned. Frozen corn can be used in a similar manner. If preferred, whole ears of corn may also be grilled.
5. Transfer the pepper mixture to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth using a slotted spoon. If more stock is required to thin out the soup, do so. Pour into a bowl, then add cleaned crab meat and roasted corn on top. Enjoy whether served hot or cold!

Crab Pepper Cheese Soup

• PREP TIME10 minutes
• COOK TIME25 minutes
• SERVES6

I first tasted this delectable soup at Corbett’s Fish House in Portland, Oregon, and have been attempting to duplicate it ever since. Its creamy, rich broth, substantial chunks of crab, and specific zing of spice made it very addicting. Finally, I’ve recreated their crab pepper cheese soup to perfection.

Ingredients

• ¹/₂ cup unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup half and half
• ²/₃ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 12 ounces crab meat (canned or fresh, if using canned, drain)
• 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt butter over medium heat in an enormous dutch oven or saucepan. Add the bell pepper and diced onion, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onions are transparent. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until a thick rue has formed, after adding the flour.
2. Salt, pepper, Creole, Cayenne, Parsley, and tomato paste should be added. Stir. Add the cream and half-and-half gently while whisking to mix with a large whisk. While continuing to whisk and scraping the bottom of the pot to avoid burning, bring to a low boil. Cheese is added and whisked until smooth and melted.
3. Make a slurry with equal parts water and cornstarch if a thicker soup is required; mix until a paste forms. Mix soup with slurry. Simmer the crab after lowering the heat. Cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the crab is thoroughly cooked. Serve right away with lots of oyster crackers.

I’m thinking about the beach and all those summer delights now that spring has here! Crabs are something of a huge deal in our home because my husband Walter is from Maryland. He will eat anything with crab in it, and we enjoy picking crabs in the summer. He gave this Creamy Roasted Sweet Pepper Crab Bisque 5 stars as the official taste tester (as usual).

HOW TO ROAST SWEET PEPPERS

We’ll roast Divine Flavor Tribelli Sweet Peppers to provide the base for this creamy roasted sweet pepper crab bisque. Their peppers are year-round, crisp, wholesome, and vibrant. We roast them to brown the skin, allowing us to scrape it off and enjoy the succulent, sweet pepper meat!

Start by removing the tops and seeds from the peppers before roasting them. The peppers should then be halved vertically and placed face down on a baking pan. As the pepper meat roasts in a 500°F oven for 25 to 40 minutes, the skins will brown. As soon as they’re finished, take them out of the oven and carefully wrap them in a piece of aluminum foil. Give them a good 20 minutes to rest so the peppers can cool and the skin will come off much more easily. After 20 minutes, carefully peel each pepper’s skin off and discard it.

Now that the pepper meat has been puréed, it may be added to the seafood stock. They can be processed into a purée in a food processor before being added to a pot with the seafood stock. Alternatively, you may use an immersion blender to puree them right in the saucepan after adding them to the seafood stock.

HOW TO MAKE CREAMY SWEET PEPPER CRAB BISQUE

We now have the base for our bisque after roasting and puréeing the Tribelli Sweet Peppers and adding them to the seafood stock. Now it’s time to season the bisque with salt, crab-specific old bay seasoning, and smoked paprika.

So what else goes into the bisque?

sautéed onions, carrots and celery

corn sliced straight from the cob

shredded crab leg meat

This results in a robust bisque that emphasizes the crab and the flavor of the roasted peppers in the liquid. Just 1/2 cup of heavy cream is the last ingredient. If you wish to keep the bisque on the lighter side, you don’t have to add it, but it definitely helps to give it a little additional smoothness.

HOW TO GARNISH CREAMY ROASTED SWEET PEPPER CRAB BISQUE

You will want to serve the soup immediately upon preparation. I’ve chosen to garnish it with some fresh parsley and oyster crackers. A fresh loaf of  warm bread would also make a great side!

CREAMY ROASTED SWEET PEPPER CRAB BISQUE

• TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 10 minutes
• YIELD: 4 bowls of soup 1x

This Creamy Roasted Sweet Pepper Crab Bisque is made with a base of puréed roasted Divine Flavor Mini Tribelli Sweet Peppers and seafood stock and is loaded with crab meat, sweet corn, carrots, celery and onions. 

INGREDIENTS

SCALE1x2x3x

2 pounds Divine Flavor Tribelli Mini Sweet Peppers

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup onions, chopped

1/2 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup celery, chopped

4 cups seafood stock

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp old bay seasoning

pinch of smoked paprika

2 ears boiled corn, sliced off the cob

1/2 cup heavy cream**

1/2 pound crab leg meat

handful fresh parsley, for garnish

1/2 cup oyster crackers for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Set the oven to 500 °F.

Dry and wash peppers.

Remove the seeds from each pepper’s top by slicing it.

Each pepper should be cut in half lengthwise.

You’ll need two large baking sheets to fit all the peppers, so arrange them inside-side down on one baking sheet, making sure they don’t overlap.

When the peppers are soft and the skin is blackened, bake them on the middle rack of the oven, one sheet at a time, for 25 to 30 minutes.

When taking something out of the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil right away.

Repeat with the second pepper sheet.

Meanwhile, Heat the olive oil in a sizable stockpot over a medium flame.

Add the celery, carrots, and onions, and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the veggies soften and begin to turn a light brown color. Transfer to a bowl, then reserve

After about 20 minutes, carefully remove the aluminum foil from the pepper pans. Each pepper’s charred skin should peel off with little effort.

Put the pepper meat in the bowl of your food processor and process it on high until it is completely smooth. Discard the pepper skins.

Incorporate the puréed pepper into a sizable stockpot.

Over medium heat, combine the seafood stock, salt, old bay, and paprika. Then, bring to a low boil.

Refill the pot with the sautéed vegetables and add the corn.

Reduce the heat to simmer after about 2 minutes, then mix in the heavy cream**.

Add the crab meat and combine.

Pour into bowls and, if preferred, top with oyster crackers and fresh parsley.

NOTES

*If you would rather use an immersion blender you can, use it in the large pot once you have added the seafood stock

**This makes it creamier, you may omit if you like

• Prep Time: 1 hour
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Soup

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Fresh Crab

An beautiful soup with outstanding flavor is this Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Fresh Crab. A hand blender can be used to make a Vitamix soup on the stove.

And here I am in my kitchen preparing yet another Vitamix soup.

The tofu method I use with other Vitamix soups is not used with this one. No, to produce that rich, silky texture in this recipe, which is a little more decadent, half and half or heavy cream is used.

For years, my favorite dish has been roasted red pepper soup. It’s a simple recipe to keep on hand because it’s so simple to prepare thanks to the convenience of roasted red peppers in a jar. You can prepare it extremely cheaply by purchasing the enormous jar of roasted red peppers at Costco. I do like roasting my own peppers since the flavor is unrivaled. Oh time, why must you always play a role in what we do?

This simple Vitamix soup is nice enough to serve as a beginning at a dinner party or special occasion meal. It can also be prepared in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to reheat and serve. Reheating can be done in a pan over medium-low heat on the stove.

Vitamix Soup | Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Fresh Crab

Don’t be tempted to skip the crab. It helps balance the flavors and the soup really shines with it.

• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup half and half or heavy cream
• 2 red roasted red bell peppers (I sometimes roast my own or just use two from a jar if I’m short on time)
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 16 ounce container fresh crab meat

1. In order to avoid the crab becoming too chilly to add to the soup, remove it from the refrigerator and allow it come to room temperature while you cook the soup.
2. Set a skillet to medium heat to preheat. Saute onions in olive oil for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent.
3. Blender with onions and remaining ingredients (except crab). Start with variable 1, then swiftly move to 10, and finally high. Blend until very hot and steaming, about 5-7 minutes. Add salt, taste, and adjust seasoning as necessary.
4. In four bowls, pour the soup. Place a portion of the crab mixture in the center of each bowl after dividing it between them. If desired, garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

Recipe: Crab and Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

For instance, indulgences don’t necessarily have to be sweet; this savory soup is a terrific comfort food. Whether you use fresh or canned crab, the flavor is wonderful when combined with traditional seafood ingredients like cayenne, Old Bay, and Cajun spices, as well as a little sweetness from the roasted red peppers. You’ll be happy you treated yourself to this dish if you serve it with some crostini on the side for dipping!

Crab and Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 12-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat or canned crab
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay or Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

1. The onion should be sauteed in the olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until it is soft and transparent. Sauté for another minute after adding the garlic.
2. Melt the butter in a big pot over medium-high heat as the onion cooks. After the butter has melted, add the flour and stir until smooth. Cook for one minute. (or until the mixture starts to brown).
3. Then, add the onion, Old Bay, cayenne pepper, red peppers, tomato paste, crabmeat (save a few ounces of crabmeat if you want to garnish the soup with it), and crab to the saucepan. For 10 to 15 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth, let it simmer.
4. Puree the soup with an immersion blender until it’s smooth. (you could also use an electric blender and puree in batches, returning the soup to the pot when it is pureed).
5. Salt, red wine vinegar, and heavy cream should be added to the pot and allowed to simmer for two to three minutes, or until well heated.
6. If you saved any crab flesh, garnish with it and/or add a swirl of half and half if you like.
7. Enjoy!