Rich, comforting, and a little sophisticated, I wish I was describing myself, but no, it’s the crab bisque that is all of these things. The flavors are simple and the texture is velvety, thanks to using a roux as the base, and it takes under 30 minutes to put together.  I also love the finishing touch of savory whipped cream, but if you don’t feel like bothering, just add the cream and chives right into the soup. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

For 3 to 4 servings

2 cups dungeness crab meat, finely chopped

1 quart whole milk

1 bay leaf

1 yellow onion, halved and peeled

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

INGREDIENTS (SALTED WHIPPED CREAM)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

INGREDIENTS (TOPPING)

1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped or snipped

DIRECTIONS

In a medium pot over medium low heat, simmer together the crab, milk, bay leaf, and halved onion for 20 minutes.  In another medium pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring so that it forms a paste. Cook this mixture, the roux, until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste, cayenne, and white wine to the roux, whisking to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes until the scent of the wine cooks off. Pull the bay leaf out of the milk/crab mixture and add the milk/crab mixture a ladle at a time to the butter and flour, stirring with a whisk to thicken.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Whip together the cream and salt until soft peaks form. Ladle the soup into a bowl, top with cream, and sprinkle with chives.  The soup is best after mixing together everything with a spoon. Enjoy!