Sopa de Caranguejo

Name: Sopa de Caranguejo
Cuisine: Brazilian
Ingredients: 1 bay leaf; 2 whole cloves; 2 onions; 1 cup cachaça (optional); 1 cup fresh or canned unsweetened coconut milk; Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 1 teaspoon dendê oil (optional); 1 cup fresh or canned unsweetened coconut milk; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley; Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil; 1 celery rib, chopped; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1 small hot chili pepper, seeded, deveined, and chopped; 2 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped; 2 sprigs cilantro; 3 sprigs parsley; 12 small live blue crabs, washed and scrubbed (see Note); 3 garlic cloves; 3 limes, halved, and Malagueta Pepper Sauce or hot pepper sauce, for serving; 3 limes, halved, and Malagueta Pepper Sauce or hot pepper sauce, for serving; 3 limes, halved, and Malagueta Pepper Sauce or hot pepper sauce, for serving

Crab Soup

Preparation info

Serves
6 to 8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Brazil

By Christopher Idone

Published 1995

About

The Brazilian Atlantic crab is slightly smaller than the famed blue crabs found along our Eastern Shore of Maryland, which are equally delicious and sweet.

Ingredients

2 onions
1 cup cachaça (optional)
1 bay leaf

Americas
Brazil
Bahia
Maryland
Soup
Fish course
Pescatarian
Gluten-free

Method

Slice one of the onions. In a steamer, add the cachaça, if using, the sliced onion, bay leaf, cloves, parsley and cilantro sprigs, and 1 garlic clove along with enough cold water to fill by 3 inches. Cover and bring to a boil.

Place the crabs in the steamer basket, lower them into the pot, cover, and steam for 5 minutes. Remove the crabs and set them aside to cool. Strain the liquid and