Crabby Cauliflower Chowder

There is no other way to put it. Beginning in December and continuing through most of March, the weather here in Ohio rots. It's cold, snowy and grey and the chill reaches my bones even when I'm safe indoors.  In order to warm me up I like cooking and of course eating soup. I found the base recipe for this chowder on the recipe card carousel located in the produce section at Giant Eagle, but added a few ingredient to make it a tad heartier and more flavorful.

Ingredients

2 cups cauliflower florets chopped -- about 1/2 of one small head. Frozen is fine too..

15 oz. can of chicken broth 

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup grated carrots

1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

2 teaspoons of lemon zest
2 Tablespoons of parsley
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (optional)
2 cups of half and half

2 Tablespoons of flour

8 oz package of imitation crab flakes -- I like TransOcean Crab Classic
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

• In a large saucepan, combine cauliflower, broth, onion, carrots, red pepper and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 6 to 8 minutes or until cauliflower is crisp-tender.
• Stir together half and half and 2 Tablespoons of flour. Stir into cauliflower mixture and bring to a boil and stir. Soup will begin to thicken. If desired, add another Tablespoon of flour to the soup to make it thicker; add water or more broth to thin it out.
• Chop crab meat into smaller pieces if necessary, then gently stir into the soup mixture. Heat through and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately.

Servings

Serves 4 to 6

A Broken Oven Tip

How do you make this chowder even better you ask? Well, by adding some more carbs and fat of course. Sprinkle with some garlic croutons and cheddar for an extra filling variation.  I'm sure bacon or ham would be pretty good too!