Crabcakes with Tomato and Cucumber Salsa, and Curried Butternut Squash Soup

In the great words of Rachel Ray, “Yum-O!”

The crab cakes will feed 2, but the soup will feed 4 (or 2 with leftovers).   

You’ll need (for the soup)

1 butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and chopped

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrot

1 whole white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

About 1 tbs olive oil

6 cups water

Salt

1 tbs curry powder (yellow)

(For the crab cakes)

1 16 oz can of crab meat (precooked)

1 egg

1 cup almond flour

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

(For the salsa)

2 roma tomatoes, diced

About a 1.5 in section of a large cucumber, diced

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large soup pot on the stove, cook celery and carrots in the olive oil for about 7 minutes, covering the pot with a lid.  Stir every 2 mins or so.  Next, add in the onions and garlic, and cook till they’re soft, but not brown.  Add in all the rest of the soup ingredients, bring to a boil. While the water is getting up to boiling, work on the crab cakes: mix the crab, almond flour, egg and Old Bay in a bowl, blend well with a fork, then form about 6 cakes into patties, and put them in the oven for about 25 mins, or until golden brown and slightly firm.  Once your soup water is boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer.  Allow it to simmer for 20 mins or until the squash is soft.  When you have a free minute, mix chopped tomatoes and cucumbers with the vinegar to make your salsa.  Once the soup is done simmering, remove it, strain out 2/3 of the liquid, then blend the cooked vegetables and remaining liquid in a blender (or with an immersion blender) until it is smooth.  Season it with salt as needed.  Serve crab cakes with the salsa on top or on the side.