This shrimp and crab amaranth soup is creamy and hearty. Great comfort food with the health benefits of a high protein nutrient-packed grain.
More Yummy Soup Recipes:
Cream of Crab Soup, Roasted Cauliflower Soup, and Easy Potato Soup
Have you heard of Amaranth yet? It's a crop similar to quinoa with a ton of great nutritional health benefits.
Considered a superfood, amaranth contains higher levels of protein than similar grains. It also contains calcium and is naturally gluten-free (though you may want to check the label).
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Like quinoa, it's not actually a grain but a seed. Some call it a pseudo-cereal. However, it's usually listed with other grains due to its nutritional profile.
As you can see from the picture above it's even smaller than quinoa.
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Originally when I picked this up in the supermarket I thought it would be good with leafy greens in a salad. However, after cooking it I noticed that it has more of a porridge consistency and decided to make a soup or stew.
I was in the mood for seafood so I picked up some medium shrimp and crabmeat at the store and made a yummy creamy, yet light, soup for dinner.
My husband loved it. He is a big seafood lover and puts Old Bay seasoning
on everything so it's no wonder he liked the soup. He also said he enjoyed the amaranth and that it reminded him of a savory cream of wheat.
I used a can of evaporated milk instead of cream to lighten the soup but still keep it creamy.
No potatoes or noodles needed as the amaranth offers plenty of starch. And, in addition to the high levels of protein, amaranth also offers a nice supply of magnesium, zinc, iron, and B6 making this a very healthy dinner.
Knowing how nutrient-rich the amaranth is made me feel good about eating this dish. We even helped ourselves to seconds.
Shrimp and Crab Amaranth Soup
Ingredients
- 8 oz fresh crabmeat
- 1 pound medium cooked shrimp chopped into bite sized pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
- 1/3 cup diced carrots
- 4 cups 1 qt vegetable broth
- 1 can 12 oz evaporated milk
- 1 cup Amaranth
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Saute onions and carrots in olive oil for a few minutes
- Add Old Bay, salt and pepper and saute for a few more minutes.
- Add broth and bring to a boil.
- Add amaranth, lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
- Add shrimp and crab, stir well.
- Add evaporated milk and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer for 3-5 minutes until heated through and serve.
Nutrition
Cd Loken
I had not heard of amaranth before, Patti, but I do love quinoa so I’ll definitely have to try it! Your soup looks so yummy ! I’m not a big seafood fan but my hubby is so I’m pinning for future meal planning!
Patti Estep
My husband loves seafood too. I think he liked this more than I did. 🙂
Carole West
I like seafood too, my dad was a commercial fisherman which heavily influenced the weekly menu when I was growing up. Now I've never tried amaranth, actually never heard of it till now. It just went on my grocery list because it sounds great and it's time to stock up so I don't have to go out as much. You're soup looks amazing and it's suppose to be cold this weekend which means soup would be perfect.
Patti Estep
Thanks Carole. It turned out pretty good. I keep seeing these unusual grains and ingredients in the store and feel challenged to try them. I hope you like it.