This past week has been a challenge. Trying to edit the book is possibly harder than it was writing the book and at this point I just want my “baby” packed up and ready for flight as I yearn for my life to return to normal. I am reminded of when I was in year two at primary school. I was supposed to colour in the lines of an angel but all I wanted to do was play outside with my friends. I was the last student to leave the classroom and I kept returning my drawing book to my teacher with colours drawn haphazardly over the lines. She wouldn’t let me go outside until I had done the job properly and I stared outside at my friends playing yearning to join them.
Long stretches in front of the computer aren’t exactly sane making so one afternoon, after punching out 3,500 words, I felt that I needed to stir something. I only had myself to blame as I decided to replace two chapters with completely new ones so I had quite foolishly built a rod for my back. It has turned chilly suddenly this week in Sydney and with daylight savings and the evenings creeping up on us quickly, I wanted nothing more than a creamy soup for dinner. Problem was that next week I had a photo shoot for a magazine in which I talk about the challenges of working around delicious food while still fitting into your clothes and I didn’t want to turn up and be ejected from not fitting both the spirit of the article or the clothes.
I eyed a whole butternut squash sitting on my counter. My friend Queen Viv had just made a cream-less but creamy pumpkin and leek soup and I decided to make a version with crab. I fished out the bag of crab stock from the pantry I had been given from The Stock Merchant and improvised. I figured that even if it didn’t work, I could just enjoy the reprieve from the computer screen. I roasted the squash whole in the oven and a bonus was the warmth of the oven. Then I sauteed some onion and garlic and add the crab stock and roasted squash.
Simmering it for 10 minutes I pureed the soup and tasted it. Even without the crab that I was putting in at the end, it was rich and creamy. It even had a distinctly creamy bisque flavour and texture to it too although it was much simpler. It is a very easy soup to make and if you are rushed for time, you can cube the squash so that it cooks even quicker or possibly peel it and simmer it in the stock. I think a lot of the fullness of the flavour comes from the goodness of the stock and the crab stock is possibly my favourite flavour from The Stock Merchant’s range. It’s made using sustainable blue swimmer crab from Western Australia and it is so flavoursome that you can easily make this soup without the added crab at the end and still taste the rich crab flavour.
OK it’s back to work for me! Wish me luck! And psst! Happy Friday the 13th fellow ghouls! Don’t walk under any ladders ok? 
xxx
So tell me Dear Reader, what are your favourite warming soups for winter? And has anything bad ever happened to you on Friday the 13th?
Creamy Crab & Butternut Squash Soup
An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella
Serves 2
- 400g butternut squash
- 1-2 teaspoons of oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 500ml crab stock (I used one from The Stock Merchant)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Black pepper
- a pinch of nutmeg, cayenne pepper and a small amount of cumin
- 90g/3ozs crab meat (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 200c/400F and roast whole butternut squash on a tray for 30 minutes until soft. Remove skin and seeds when cool enough to handle-both should slip off easily.
2. Heat a pot on medium heat and add oil and gently cook the onion and garlic until fragrant and translucent. Then add the crab stock and butternut squash flesh and simmer for 10 minutes. Use a hand held whizz to blend the soup. Add salt, black pepper, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and cumin to taste-I find a pinch is enough of each as you don’t want to lose the delicious crab flavour. Add crab if using, and heat through gently. Serve hot with warm bread-I ate it with a New York Rye loaf from Brasserie Bread.
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78 Comments | Add your own
A wonderful soup! So comforting.
Wow, so you are writing a book? Congratulations!
Cheers,
Rosa
crab stock??? brilliant!!
Squash soup is actually one of my favorite comforting winter soups
Something about the pureed squash with pepper (and I top mine with a little sour cream and crispy bacon) and it’s like the cold never existed… I’ve never made squash soup by roasting the whole halves of squash, but I’ll have to try that. I always cube mine up first.
And fortunately, nothing bad has ever happened to me on Friday the 13th
Oooh, that looks delicious, and the crab stock is a great find! Where did you get the crab meat from, though? I always find the local pre-picked stuff prohibitively expensive..thanks..
Hi Lorraine, the butternut squash has one of the creamiest qualities than any other squash — I find adding cream crazy, it just doesn’t need it. I love how you roasted it, I usually painstakingly peal it and cut it into cubes and roast it on a cookie sheet; your way looks way easier. I would have also roasted the garlic for another level of flavour. The crab stock sounds AMAZING, wish I could get my hands on some. This is a beautiful photo; love the spoon.
PS, it’s not Friday the 13th here yet;)
Yeah soup weather. I’m mad for soup. Crab and butternut squash sounds like a delicious combination
Your soup looks like the perfect distraction. Good luck! I know it’ll be great. xoxo Mum
A beautiful looking soup….and with crab no less! Good luck with polishing the rest of the book, I’m sure it’ll be worth all the effort.
Good luck with the book editing. As the weather cools salads are just not cutting it for lunch, I am going to make this on the weekend, looks delicious. My favourite warming soups are any with pumpkin so this is perfect, thank you for the recipe
I love how you roasted the whole squash. I think it’s great to roast the vegetables you use for soups as it adds a much more intense flavour. I hope you can see the light at the end of the tunnel with all that editing. Won’t be long now and you’ll be at the launch! xx
Sounds delish!
this looks great. It’s crab season right now, and I’ve never made a crab stock from scratch. Might need to look into that
Thanks for the idea.
Sitting in front of the computer for hours on end must be tough, but surely it will be over soon. I love this soup, so rich and yet light. Very clever. GG
yummo! the final photo would have to be a new favourite – gorgeously styled lorraine!
Warm, creamy, delicious and comforting- how perfect for a stressful day!
Good luck finishing the book, we’re all rooting for you Lorraine. Maybe Friday the thirteenth will be lucky for you
Mmmmm crab and pumpkin, why have I never thought of that? My husband always complains when I make soup – he really misses the protein in a lot of vegetable soups like pumpkin. I’d have to say that pumpkin probably would be my favourite soup. It’s so smooth, silky and comforting.
So far, I’ve only seen chicken, beef and vegetarian stock options from the stock merchant! Never knew there was a crab one.
I am getting in the mood for soup. One of the good things about winter! Great flavour combo
Love the recipe. My favorite soup is Mum’s chicken soup. I swear it heals colds. Friday the 13th is a very lucky day for me actually. I was married on Friday the 13th…
Love your method of cooking the pumpkin whole. Saves a lot of chopping time. And the photo with the steam is excellent – well done Lorraine!
Hi NQN, can you tell me where you can purchase the Stock Merchant stocks from? I’ve never heard of them but it certainly looks way better than the run of the mill stocks you buy in supermarkets.
Thanks.
Hi Dale-Sure, here is a list of stockists
They’re great and use free range bones! http://thestockmerchant.com.au/stockists/
Winter is comming…this could be a good option as soon cold comes
I’ve never roasted a whole butternut squash before. I’ve never typed butternut and squash to an Australian before. It took years before I could say pumpkin.
Tell Queen Viv her recipe looks fantastic and I love how you’ve dressed it up.
wow that’s a beautiful shot of that butternut after it’s come out of the oven!! I love it xo
Too much time at the computer screen can sure send us crazy. I have a couple of pumpkins sitting around waiting to be dealt with and the chilly evenings here in the Adelaide hills are very conducive to soup-making.
I love butternut pumpkin soup and the addition of crab sounds lovely. Sadly my beloved will not eat anything orange so I won’t be making this one!
Stunning with the steam coming off!
This sounds delicious – I think I’d just use vegetable stock. I like minestrone soup and any soups that are thick and rich – not a fan of watery soup. I am not aware of any Friday 13th curse – or good luck for that matter.
Agreed, that is one of your best food shots NQN! That should be a wallpaper if you ask me! My fave soup….Clam Chowder from San Francisco served up in a sour dough roll……I’m drooling as I type!
Great photo, capturing steam as well! Sounds delish – crab stock!
I find it’s not Friday the 13th that something goes wrong its always the next day!
We love butternut pumpkin when it’s in season. I make a number of dishes with it and creamy soup is one of them. So next time I’m going to try your crab stock variation.
Divine, truly. Your pictures are stunning and have warmed me right up just by looking at them! 2 nights ago I made roasted mushroom & parsnip soup for the first time, so warming!
Heidi xo
Yum I love pumpkin soup and with the added crab stock even yummier, I would love to try this one tonight but as its Greek Easter this weekend I can’t have any crab till Sunday, I love the roasting of the pumpkin as well. Been Friday the 13th I better keep an eye on the time to move my car as the parking ranger was out early today.
What a fabulous sounding soup! And here in the Southern Highlands that time of the year has arrived
! Had no idea one could buy Oz made crab stock! Have already looked up your link to the Stock Merchant and found there is one on-line supplier – so more homework over the weekend! I was not a ‘soup person’ in my earlier ‘life’, but now love thick concoctions like curried lamb shank, a trillion varieties of minestrone and all kinds of pumpkin ++ ! Oh ham & pea too, of course! Even asked my local supermarket for a couple of chicken carcases this morning for fresh chicken stock! Friday 13th: hey lady, no comment: too much of the day to go 
!
Last week a friend gave me three pumpkins so I had to cook some up quickly. I roasted one with garlic and onion, then into a pot with some vegetable stock and blended it till smooth. I think the roasting gives it such a depth of flavor, and wow! to have it with crab stock would be magnificent!
I don’t eat crab… is there something you’d recomend to take its place?
I can’t wait to read that book, and this soup is just the thing to keep you going to the finish line. And, that bread is to die for!
Your new book cannot WAIT to read!
As am sure the heart, mind, soul and stomach it will feed!
Thanks for warming me today with your yummy soup, TRUE!
I am a big fan of hot and soup made in a unique way too! WHOO HOO!
It’s unseasonably chilly and rainy today. How I long for that soup! And how I long for ready-to-use crab stock at my fingertips.
Pumpking and minestrone are my go to soups with eather like this.
x
Good luck with everything Lorraine – you are like superwoman to the rest of the blogging world so we have faith that you will do it, and do it spectacularly
Happy Friday the 13th! I said white rabbits 3 times this morning so I’m covered.
Soup is one of the only things I don’t really like. It’s something about the texture. I don’t know whether to swallow or chew!
Good luck with the book editing! Just think how good it will be when it’s in print for the world to see.
I love pumpkin soup – I do a nice thai style one with chilli. I also love roasted tomato soup – so delicious.
Despite how arduous the editing process is for you right now, I’m still so excited for you to be publishing a book. It’s really wonderful
Thanks also for the introduction to that crab stock! I’m off to find a vendor in Melbourne who sells it. It’s just what I’ve been looking for!
I got really excited when I saw low fat, this soup looks delicious and I wouldn’t mind to eat it on a hot day
Oh yes! T’is the season for comforting and heart-warming soups. Mmmmmmm…
Hi can you swap prawn stock instead of crab stock…..i have plenty….would it be just as nice…..it looks delicious!
Can I swap prawn stock instead of crab….I have plenty of that!
Hi Helena-Sure, I don’t see why not, it sounds delicious
Crab with ANYTHING soup is one of my favourite things and I was so spoilt growing up in Qld as my dad caught (still catches) his own crabs so we had fresh crabs on tap!!! My mum makes the best crab and sweet corn soup, but I can imagine how delicious it is with butternut too!
Absolutely love your blog, always such fantastic recipes, photos and stories!! Congrats on your book, sounds challenging but wonderful. Another delish recipe to try – especially in this chilly Sydney weather!!
I am so relating to your editing problem! My sister got quite a fright when her girls woke her up at 6h20! She forgot the clocks were turning back so for the girls it was 7h20
Haha I’m currently doing an editing subject at uni and it isn’t as easy as a lot of people think, so I do share your pain!
Had never heard of The Stock Merchant until now and am glad I have – going to buy a few bags of stock to keep me happy during winter. Wah, soups!
We just harvested pumpkins from the vegie patch, so lots of pumpkin soup for us and plenty of homemade baby food too! Thanks for the variation. I am just eating pea and ham soup for dinner, it is delicious and very filling.
You’ll get there lady! And the book is going to be (already is) amazing beyond words
This soup looks great. Chin up you will be free , happy and pleased soon very soon!
Pumpkin soup is perfect comfort – and you reminded me I bought some silken tofu today and forgot it is in my bad – last batch made some great creamy pumpkin soup.
I understand your feelings about editing – I am hopeless with that sort of stuff and was once made to have an extension on a thesis by a supervisor even though I was ready to just hand it in (a bit like your angel drawing but I probably didn’t have so much fun to return to as your would have had as a child)
I love all soups! This one looks particularly tasty.
The book does sound like a mission, but I am certainly sure it will be worth the effort.
Nothing bad so far on the 13th…
My favorite soup to warm the soul is actually butternut squash and I make it very similar to this one every Thanksgiving…
The crab addition is brilliant and will now become part of my Holiday Tradition.
xxoo,
RMW
I feel sorry for you Lorraine having to edit all that it working on I assume a pretty tight schedule and always being so busy! Hope you get enough rest and not stressing out too much ~
I love this easy, creamy yet light recipe! I’m definitely gonna give this a go because I LOVE pumpkins heheh and was given a stick blender for Xmas I think I can put it into good use
What a fabulous meal you’ve created, and it looks so delicious on the picture! Rye bread is perfect, I thought you made it and was looking for the recipe, but then I’ve got to the end of your story to see it’s from the bakery. Lovely post! Good luck on editing!
Good luck with your book!! So exciting. It will be well worth it in the end. I love comforting soups and this looks really delicious. It’s suddenly gone wintery again in London even though its spring so this would be perfect
I’ve heard about this stock and wondered if it was worth trying. Might have to give it a go.
My “baby” is now 16. It will be alright.
I will definitely be making lots of soup this winter. I’ve never come across crab stock before, I’ll have to look for it. I did make a big pot of chicken soup the other night.. Which turned out handy when I came down with flu the following day
Yesterday was 21C and today is 12C… SO COLD and your soup sounds so perfect! I want to have the crab broth. I wonder if I can find it. This will be our family favorite if I can make this!!
holy smokes, i love your bowl!
Lovely, will go on my list of recipes to definitely make!
I’ve never heard of crab stock, but mmm this soup combo sounds amazing together!
You know I have been waiting impatiently for your book! I am just imagining you bent over the pages, but rewriting? Really? You do inspire me, though, as I sit and think of the book hidden inside of me and have trouble even starting it. I need a bowl of this fabulous soup! I love crab bisque and I think making it creamy with roasted squash brilliant! Now to get my hands on some crab stock…
This looks delicious! And the bowl is really beautiful! Now I want bowls like that!
Delicious and perfect timing for the cold
I love crab and I love pumpkin. So that was a win win for me, but you really won me on creamy, but low fat. You rock Lorraine!
I love reading your stories – sometimes (not often), they are better than your recipes. I will definitely give you a vote, and all the best – I hope you win.
Seafood and fish, a perfect combination. Yum!
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