We don’t all have time to spend an afternoon stuffing crawfish heads for a traditional crawfish bisque, but on the cooler days of crawfish season there are few things more satisfying than a creamy crawfish soup. Here, we came up with a version that is full of flavor, but not full of fat. Louisiana crawfish are a great source of protein and vitamin B-12, and have notable amounts of magnesium, potassium, and iron. While it can be tempting to clothe our noble crawfish in butter, cheese, spices, and bread, it can be even more fulfilling to serve them simply, and let their flavor shine.
Creamy Crawfish Soup
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups low-fat buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 2 pounds cooked crawfish tails
- Garnish: hot sauce and chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, shallot, and garlic; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste, broth, buttermilk, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, soy sauce, and Creole seasoning. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. In batches, transfer mixture to the container of a blender, and blend until smooth.
- Return soup to pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and add crawfish. Simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with hot sauce and chives, if desired.
Find even more crawfish favorites in our March/April 2018 issue.