Creamy Corn and Crab Chowder

With the cool rainy weather I had a taste for a soup of some kind.  I saw this recipe in my Cooking Light magazine and it sounded really good.  

 Instead of using the crab claw meat - I had some imitation crab meat and cut that into chunks.  I thought it actually tasted better!  Crab claw meat can be pretty expensive too.  Of course you can use shrimp or even shredded chicken if you prefer. Cook this separate before adding it to the soup.   I also added a couple bay leaves for some extra flavor.   I also used fresh corn cut off the cob - I had some ears in the fridge.   Instead of the chile - I added shredded carrots. Only because I didnt have a chile - but wanted some color.   I did cook this for about an hour and a half and just let it simmer on the stove to make sure all the veggies were soft enough. 

With some rolls and breadsticks this is a good hearty meal that won't make you feel like you have to crash on the couch for an hour afterwards!

Below is the recipe as I found it in my magazine.  Enjoy!


Ingredients:

• 1 medium poblano chile
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup half-and-half, divided
• 3 (8-ounce) russet potato, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
• 1 (8-ounce) container crab claw meat, shell pieces removed

Preparation:
1. Preheat broiler.


2. Place poblano on a foil-lined 2. Place poblano on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 8 minutes on each side or until blackened. Place pepper in a small zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and chop.

3. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through red pepper) to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add corn; sauté 2 minutes. Remove 3/4 cup corn mixture from pan. Combine 3/4 cup corn mixture and 3/4 cup half-and-half in a blender; process until smooth. Add potato to pan; sauté 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Cook 15  minutes or until potato is almost tender. Reduce heat to medium low. 

4. Combine remaining 1/4 cup half-and-half and flour in a small bowl, stirring until smooth. Add flour mixture to pan. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Return corn puree to pan. Stir in poblano, milk, and crab; bring to a simmer. Stir frequently.