Karl’s Potato Soup with Mini Crab Cakes

Eilene still has a sore throat, so I am making soup again. Last night was chicken and pasta so I thought I would head a different direction tonight. Potatoes and crab is on the menu, just for a change in pace, if not texture.

I frequently make fishyssoise, potato and leek soup with fish, but this has become too standard. One thing this blog does for me (to me?) is to force me to push the boundaries and try new things. I had originally thought of crab cakes with mashed potatoes, but Jan felt that was too boring.

I had already thought about doctoring the mashed potatoes with sour cream and chives, so it was a small step to turn it into a soup. If you are going to have soup it is an obvious next step to make the crab cakes smaller and drop them into the soup. This would also make them easier for Eilene to eat with her difficulty in swallowing.

Karl’s Potato Soup with Crab Cake Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs

1 egg, lightly scrambled
2 Tbs. green onions, minced
2 Tbs. parsley
2 Tbs. Greek yogurt
½ tsp. Colman’s mustard
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Pinch Kosher salt
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
½ lb crab meat

½ cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Soup

2 Tbs. butter
½ cup shallots, minced
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
1 lb. Russet potatoes, large dice
3 cups chicken broth
¼ tsp. white pepper

½ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup red bell pepper, fine dice
¼ cup chives, snipped

Directions

1.  Put the egg, onions, yogurt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and salt in a medium bowl and whisk them together.

2. Cut the crust off of a slice of fresh white bread and run it through a standing blender to make the fresh bread crumbs.

Tip: Do not over process the bread or it will turn into a paste.

3. Add the crab, fresh bread crumbs, and parsley to the bowl. Gently fold the ingredients together.

Tip: You want the ingredients well mixed, but you do not want to mash the crab into mush.

4. Move the oven rack to the top position and preheat the oven to 400° F.

5. Scoop out one half tablespoon of the crab mixture.

6. Spread the panko over a small plate and roll the mini crab cakes on it.

7. Put the finished mini crab cakes on a Pam-ed baking sheet.

Tip: Do not crowd the mini crab cakes.

8. Bake the meatballs for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Turn them over half way through the cooking time

9. Remove the mini crab cakes from the oven and transfer them in a serving bowl.

Tip: You can bake the mini crab cakes at the same time as you are making the soup. If dinner is going to be more than a few minutes after the mini crab cakes are dome, tent them with foil to keep them warm.

10. Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the shallots and salt until translucent, about four minutes.

11. Add the potatoes and broth. Bring the pot to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

12. Remove the soup to a standing blender and process it until smooth.

13. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the yogurt and most of the red pepper and chives.

Tip: Reserve a tablespoon of each for garnish.

14. Re-warm the soup, but do not bring it to a boil, about five minutes over a medium heat.

15. Serve the soup with the mini crab cakes, and the remaining red pepper and chives on the side.

Tip: Do not add the crab cakes until just before you serve or they might fall apart in the soup.