Challenging Ingredient: Canned Cream of Crab Soup

This was one of those evenings on which everyone looks at each other with the dreaded question: "What's for dinner?"  A brief rummage through the kitchen cupboard produced this unfamiliar item:

Condensed Cream of Crab Soup

The directions called for half-and-half and a gentle simmer on the stove.  But after I opened the can, I decided a bit more effort was necessary to transform the unappetizing gray, fishy substance that jiggled inside.  The end result was a delicious pot of soup without a hint of can flavor or fishiness.

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 can condensed cream of crab soup (10.5 oz)
• 1/2 C Classico red pasta sauce
• Palmful of dried terragon
• 3 C vegetable broth, warmed
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1/4 C water
• 1/2 leek, sliced
• Green onions (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a large pot over medium high heat.
2. Saute onions, celery, carrots, and garlic.  Transfer to a blender.
3. Keep the heat on medium high and pour the broth into the empty pot.
4. In the blender, puree the sauteed veggies, cream of crab soup, pasta sauce, and terragon until smooth.  Add the mixture to the pot with the broth.
5. Slowly stir in the cream.  Bring soup to a simmer and turn the heat down to continue simmering.
6. Combine corn starch with water and stir into the soup.
7. Add leeks and continue simmering until soup thickens.
8. Garnish with green onions if desired.