Summery gazpacho gets a flavor and nutrition boost from crabmeat

Are you ready for a creative way to use those summer vegetables from your garden or the market? Tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are the basis for our chilled gazpacho soup, and today's recipe features a surprise: delicate and sweet crab.

We all know vegetables provide great health benefits, but some people may not realize that crabmeat can be part of a healthful diet. It has more than 100% of the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin B12, which helps to reduce the risk of certain types of anemia. The omega-3 fatty acids in crabmeat are great for heart and brain health, and the selenium helps to regulate thyroid gland function and protects against infection. As a low-calorie source of protein, crab has been cooked and eaten for thousands of years. 

Like crab, shellfish generally have more sodium than other fish. Frozen or processed crab may contain even more sodium, so read the labels.

If you or your guests have an allergy to crab, simply use imitation crabmeat. It’s made from pollock or other white fish, so the nutrients will be different. A bit of sugar may be added, and some brands contain a small amount of crab extract for flavoring. Again, read the labels.

For the best results, chill the soup base for at least two hours so the flavors blend. The yummy flavor combination will keep you feeling good longer, and the additional texture and protein will keep you feeling full longer.

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Our gazpacho with crab is elegant enough to serve as the first course for a dinner party, but it’s easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner in the backyard.

Bethany Thayer is a registered dietitian nutritionist with Henry Ford Health. For more recipes and health information, visit henryford.com/blog. For questions about today's recipe, email HenryFordLiveWell@hfhs.org.

Gazpacho with Crab

Serves:  8 / Prep time: 30 minutes / Total time: 30 minutes plus chilling time

1 ½ pounds tomatoes, seeded

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

2 salad cucumbers

1 large shallot, peeled

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon hot red pepper sauce

1 ¾ cups low-sodium or no-salt-added tomato or vegetable juice

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoon sugar

1 ear fresh corn, kernels removed

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons fat-free buttermilk

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

⅛ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil

2 green onions, green and white parts thinly sliced

½ pound jumbo lump crab, picked over

1 small Hass avocado, cut into ½-inch dice

Roughly chop the tomatoes and red and green peppers (remove core and seeds) and place in a food processor or blender. Peel, seed and roughly chop the cucumbers and add to the food processor. Add the shallot, garlic cloves, olive oil, red wine vinegar, hot pepper sauce, tomato juice, salt, pepper and sugar to the food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and stir in corn.

Chill mixture for 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the buttermilk, olive oil, salt and basil. Fold in the crab, avocado and green onion. Ladle the soup into 8 bowls and mound one-eighth of the crab mixture in the center of each bowl and serve.

From Henry Ford LiveWell.

184 calories (47% from fat), 10 grams fat (1.5 grams sat. fat), 18 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein, 285 mg sodium, 17 mg cholesterol, 56 mg calcium, 4 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 3 vegetable, 1/2 protein 2 fat.