Extraodinary Soup: Crawfish and Sweet Potato Bisque

Well, sometimes there is a recipe that just seems to pop up and get requested again and again–that is whythis fantatic soup made my list of 2009 favorites–yes, a crawfish recipe.  Look for a package of crawfish tails in your seafood market or freezer section–if you aren’t from Louisiana–don’t think we actually sit there and peel the crawfish–we purchase bags of crawfish tails!  Be sure to look for Louisiana crawfish tails…and if you can’t find crawfish, you may substitute shrimp or make this a vegetarian Sweet Potato Bisque, as this soup is so flavorful it can stand on its own.  This satisfying sweet potato based soup with a hint of sweetness and touch of curry highlights crawfish with a pleasing and unbeatable flavor.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground curry powder
4 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can sweet potatoes (yams), drained, or 1 cup fresh sweet potatoes, cooked, mashed
1/2 cup fat-free Half & Half
1 pound crawfish tails, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
1.  In large nonstick pot coated with nonstick cooking spray, heat oil, sauté onion, green pepper, celery, garlic until tender, 7-10 minutes.
2.  Stir in flour, stir one minute. Add molasses, curry, chicken broth, and sweet potatoes, bring to a boil.
3.  Reduce heat, cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Half & Half and crawfish, season to taste.
4.  Continue cooking 5 more minutes or until heated thoroughly.

Makes 8 (1-cup) servings
Food Facts

Calories 189
Calories from fat (%) 13
Fat (g) 3
Saturated Fat (g) 0
Cholesterol (mg) 78
Sodium (mg) 300
Carbohydrate (g) 27
Dietary Fiber (g) 3
Sugars (g) 8
Protein (g) 14
Diabetic Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 1/2 very lean meat

TERRIFIC TIDBIT: Bisque is a thick, creamy, rich soup. Don’t let the name intimidate you.