Red Thai Curry Crab Soup

(Photos & Recipe by Alyssa Bellamy)

Today’s Sustainable Seafood highlights a local favorite of ours, Dungeness crab! 

Not only can you walk down to your local seafood market to find these delicious critters, but you can usually find them for sale LIVE off the docks too!

One of the most common ways to prepare crab is to boil them, but have you ever tried steaming one?

Steaming the crab makes the meat taste a bit “cleaner” or less briney overall and some say a bit sweeter too! So if you’re making a more subtly flavored dish, you may prefer to steam the crab instead of boiling it.

Preparing the crab:

  1. Humanely dispatch the crab.

  2. Remove the crabs carapace, guts and gills. *These shells make great garden fertilizer!

  3. Place crab in a steamer basket (I used parchment paper to make cleanup easier). If necessary, break off claws in order for the whole crab to fit.

  4. Place your crab in the covered steamer basket on top of a pot of simmering water until it is cooked through and the meat is opaque (about 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your crab).

  5. Remove from heat and let cool.

  6. Get cracking!

Here’s a delicious recipe that can turn one crab into a meal for the entire family!

Red Thai Curry Crab Soup:

Ingredients:

  • Meat from 1 whole steamed crab

  • 2 14-oz. cans of coconut milk

  • 1-2 tablespoons of thai red curry paste (depending on spice level preference)

  • 1 bunch of cilantro (separate stems and leaves)

  • 2 cups fish or vegetable stock

  • 4 or 5 kaffir lime leaves

  • 2 stalks of lemongrass, halved lengthwise, woody leaves removed

  • 2 tablespoons of fish sauce

  • Zest and juice of 2 limes

  • Small knob of ginger

  • Handful of bean sprouts (optional)

  • 8-oz. Package of rice noodles

  • 2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions:

  1. Scoop thick coconut cream from the top of just one can into a large stockpot over medium-high heat.

  2. Stir curry paste into coconut cream for a few minutes until sizzling.

  3. Add the rest of the first can of coconut milk, along with the second can of coconut milk, fish/vegetable stock, cilantro stems, lemongrass, lime leaves, fish sauce and lime zest.

    1. TIP: wrapping the cilantro stems and/or lemongrass in cheese cloth with make it easier to remove later on

  4. Grate the ginger using a microplane or other grater.

  5. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

  6. Cook rice noodles according to the directions on the package.

  7. Remove lemongrass stalks and cilantro stems from soup.

  8. Remove the stockpot from heat.

  9. Stir in crab, bean sprouts (optional), cilantro leaves (reserve some for plating) and rice noodles. 

  10. Add lime juice to taste. Serve in bowls with sliced green onions and remaining cilantro leaves for garnish.

Let us know what you think!

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