In addition to their fabulous homemade peanut butter, one of my all-time favorites at Whole Foods is their warm butternut squash crab bisque. Oh my word – this soup is amazing! I still remember the first time a friend introduced it to me a few years ago, and I had my first taste of the brilliant sweet butternut squash and salty crab combination. It’s without a doubt my kind of comfort food. Absolutely delicious!
So of course, ran home and immediately had to figure out how to make it myself. A quick Google search came up with this recipe, and I’ve been using it ever since – with a few modifications. :) The original called for a cup of heavy cream, but I always use milk (or occasionally half-and-half) and still think it’s fantastic. I also added in a little extra crab, as I felt that its flavor was overpowered by the squash in the original recipe.
It’s a little more than a 30-minute meal, but well, well worth the effort. Plus, this makes an enormous batch, so it’s great for serving a crowd or yummy leftovers. A must-try during squash season!!
Butternut Squash and Crab Bisque
Ingredients
- 4 large cloves garlic, roasted
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup fresh carrots, diced
- 1 cup fresh celery, diced
- 1 quart chicken broth, divided use
- 1 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 cup half and half (or milk)
- 12 ounces crab claw meat
- Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare roasted garlic while you prepare the veggies. (For instructions on how to peel/seed/cut butternut squash, see here.)
- In a large (at least 5 quart) stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add butternut squash, onions, carrots, celery and garlic, and saute 5 minutes.
- Add 3 cups of broth, reserving the rest. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until squash is very tender (about 30 minutes).
- Add the half-and-half (or milk) and puree the mixture with an immersion blender until very smooth (or blend in batches in blender and return to pan). Thin with remaining broth if desired.
- Fold in the crab meat and sage. Season generously with salt and pepper and serve.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Butter is not listed as one of the ingredients and yet the instructions refer to it: “Once butter is melted…”
Perhaps it’s a substitute for the olive oil?
Could I use squash that I already cooked? – its not pureed but its very soft/mushy because I baked it. I figured since it will eventually be pureed it should matter but it’s also already cooked so I’m not sure how that affects flavor and cooking times.
Thanks for the recipe – I am obsessed with that soup at WF and have been on the hunt for a recipe emulating it :)
I am spoiled because I live on the east coast, where crab is plentiful. I would recommend you search around at your supermarkets fish department, especially in the frozen section. I have often found that crab meat to be far superior to anything canned, and I am happy to say, tastes just like fresh crab I can get here at the docks.
I haven’t had any problems with shells with the Phillip’s brand. It’s a little costly but well worth it for the sake of your receipes. I will be trying this one tomorrow. I have never eaten butternut squash before. I can’t wait!!!!
Do you have any recommendations for the kind of crab to buy? Having never bought and used crab for a recipe I opted to try a canned version for the easiness of it. I used Chicken of the Sea Brand White Canned Crab meat and it had little tiny shell/hard pieces in it! icky. My soup was still absolutely wonderful but I could have done without the little hard bits! Thanks!
Eeks! I’ve never found bits of shell in my crab before. What an unpleasant surprise!! :S
I think I actually have used Chicken of the Sea before, as well as whatever other brands our various local grocery stores have on hand. (I’m not sure where you live, but in the Midwest, we don’t get too many options on crab.) But have never found shells thus far. Hmmm…wondering if I’ve just been lucky, or if you maybe had a bad batch…or what. Either way, sorry to hear that was your experience! Hoping for better luck next time!
Superb recipe, making it for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Thanks for all your good cooking!
Just made this today, and it is amazing! Thank you for sharing it. I’m enjoying your website!!
I just made this an I’m in heaven. I can’t believe how creamy and succulent butternut squash can be. Thanks for the great recipe. I found you through the closet kitchen blog. keep up the good work
This looks perfect for a crisp fall evening. I can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks for sharing.
This looks fabulous. Definitely bookmarked for later!