Tomato-Basil Crab Bisque

Yields: 4 to 6 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 ounces fresh crabmeat, divided*
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped (about 1/2 cup)**
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups clam juice (or you can use chicken stock)
1 (5.5-ounce) can V8 vegetable juice (or you can use tomato sauce)
1 cup whipping or heavy cream
1 to 2 teaspoons old bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a large heavy soup pot over low heat, melt butter. Add 3/4 of crab meat, chopped tomato, 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Whisk in flour; stir 2 minutes. Whisk in clam juice, V8 vegetable juice, whipping cream, Old Bay seasoning, and hot pepper sauce. Simmer over low heat until slightly thickened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let soup cool slightly. Puree soup in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth OR immersion hand blender (which is what I used.) Return soup to pot. Stir in water and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper; bring to simmer before serving. Sprinkle with remaining crab meat and basil.

Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.

MY NOTES: Use low heat for the whole process. If your crab meat is in cubes or chunks chop it further. This was very important when it came time to puree, as I used an immersion hand blender as opposed to a food processor. It also helps to have smaller bits when you whisk in the juice and flour in the second step. This is pretty rich, so we had it as our main course and would have been delicious with a good bread.

Adapted from: http://whatscookingamerica.net/Soup/TomatoCrabBisque.htm