This luxury soup made with minimum effort is a cook's delight and a treat for the diners. The gentle flavour of the crab gains a hot undertone from curry powder and basil.
ingredients
serves 4
1 tablespoon slightly salted butter
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 small stick celery, trimmed and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 level teaspoon medium-hot curry powder
1/4 cup All purpose flour
1/2 pint skimmed milk
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1/2 pint fish or vegetable stock
2 level teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 level teaspoons chopped fresh basil
3/8 cup cooked white crabmeat, shredded
3 tablespoons cooked peeled shrimps, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
4 level tablespoons low-fat natural yoghurt
1/2 level teaspoon paprika
method
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently cook the onion, celery and garlic in it for 5 minutes, without browning.
2. Stir in the curry powder and flour, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually mix in the milk. Add the tomato puree, stock, tarragon and basil, and bring to the boil, stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Mix in the crabmeat and shrimps, season with pepper and gently heat through for another 5 minutes.
4. Ladle the soup into warmed soup plates. Swirl 1 tablespoon of yoghurt on each serving, dust with the paprika and serve immediately.
more information
You can use lobster in place of the less expensive crab to make the soup.
