Make Ahead
Heirloom Tomato Soup with Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
- Serves 4
Author Notes
Tomatoes make for a perfect chilled summer soup. The jumbo lump crab meat makes this dish more substantial, while the basil oil add a wonderful herbaceous component. This vibrant and refreshing soup is a great first course to any meal or perfect as a light lunch.
This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine, Chilled Tomato Soup with Crab Salad. The soup itself is very simply made, composed of tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, and s&p. Originally, this dish was topped with a crab and corn mixture. I decided to keep the jumbo lump crab meat very simply dressed and served with sliced avocado on the side. Instead of using pistou, as they did in the Fine Cooking recipe, I used fresh basil oil - which added an amazingly bright and herbaceous note that complimented the dish perfectly. —Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom
Ingredients
- Basil Oil
-
1 cup
basil leaves, packed
-
2 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
-
1/4 cup
grapeseed oil
- Heirloom Tomato Soup
-
2 pounds
red heirloom tomatoes
-
3 tablespoons
fresh lemon juice
-
1/2 cup
plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
-
kosher salt
-
white pepper
-
1/2 pound
jumbo lump crab meat
-
fresh ground black pepper
-
1
avocado, sliced
Directions
- Basil Oil
- Prepare a bowl of ice water. In a separate bowl, pour boiling water over basil leaves. Let the herbs steep for 30 seconds.
- Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the basil from the hot water to the ice bath to halt the cooking process. By shocking the basil, you will retain its deep green color.
- Remove the leaves from the ice water and squeeze out any excess water using a paper towel. Place the herbs in a blender or food processor and add the oils. Blend for 1 minute.
- Place the combined mixture in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stirring constantly, warm for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Strain contents through a fine meshed sieve. If you do not have a fine meshed sieve, strain through several layers of cheesecloth. Let the basil oil come to room temperature before serving. Oil will keep for a week, refrigerated.
- Heirloom Tomato Soup
- Core and quarter the tomatoes. Working in two batches, add half of the tomatoes to the blender with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/4 cup of olive oil in each batch. Season generously with kosher salt and white pepper. Blend on high until smooth
- Strain the contents of the blender through a fine-meshed sieve. Use a spoon to press through all of the liquid, discard the solids. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Refrigerate until chilled and ready to use.
- In a large bowl, pick through the crab meat, removing any bits of shell. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and black pepper to taste. Combine well and refrigerate until needed.
- To serve – top the chilled heirloom tomato soup with the jumbo lump crab meat, avocado, and drizzle with basil oil. Enjoy!
See what other Food52ers are saying.