This is the perfect transitional soup. I often make it without the crab, because it’s economical enough that you could have it on a weeknight with enough left over for lunchboxes the next day. But if you’re having friends over, or just fancy a treat, the flavour of the soup works beautifully with the crab – you could even use tinned crab, too.
Carrot soup with fennel, chilli and crab
If you’re cooking for one or two, the soup base will keep for up to two days in the fridge, or freeze it in portions. Add more stock when reheating, because the soup thickens in the fridge.
Prep 15 min
Cook 30 min
Serves 4
1 medium fennel bulb (about 320g)
1 heaped tbsp coconut oil
700g carrots, peeled and cut into ½cm-thick rounds
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
1 tsp red chilli flakes
3 spring onions
400ml tin coconut milk
400ml boiling vegetable stock
2 heaped tbsp smooth peanut butter
100g white crabmeat
1 handful peanuts, roughly chopped
1 red chilli (optional), sliced
Juice of 1 lime
Using a speed peeler, pare a quarter of the fennel bulb lengthways into a bowl of cold water, then set aside. Roughly chop the rest of the fennel, and put it in a large, deep saucepan with the coconut oil, carrots, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes. Put the pan on a medium-low heat, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for six to seven minutes, to soften the veg.
Meanwhile, finely slice the spring onions, put them in the same bowl of cold water as the fennel, and set aside.
Pour the coconut milk and stock into the pan of softened vegetables, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, half covered, for 20 minutes.
Stir in the peanut butter, then use a hand blender to blitz the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Drain the soaked fennel and spring onions really well.
Divide the soup between four bowls and top with the crabmeat, sliced fennel and spring onions, peanuts and red chilli, if using. Spritz with the lime juice just before serving.
