Crab And Asparagus Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh crab meat, ideally lump or jumbo lump for a tender texture
• Optional: ½ cup cooked crab meat from frozen, thawed and drained (use for added crab flavor if fresh is unavailable)
• 1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 celery stalk, diced small for subtle crunch
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, to sauté aromatics and add richness
• Chicken broth 4 cups
• Heavy cream 1 cup
• Dry white wine ½ cup
• Salt and white pepper, to taste (white pepper preserves soup's light color)
• Juice of ½ lemon, brightens flavors gently
• Fresh dill or parsley, finely chopped for garnish
• Asparagus tips or reserved crab meat, for finishing touches