Sofrito Cooking Directions:

1. If using a gas stove, turn burner to medium-high and roast red bell pepper over flame rotating pepper with tongs. Once the pepper is charred black on all sides, place in plastic zip lock for 15 minutes. Alternative method is to roast in oven at 500 degrees for 30 minutes.
2. While this is sitting, add onion, garlic, canned tomato and cilantro stems to blender and blend until pureed.
3. Remove the skin and seeds from bell pepper. It should fall off after sitting in the bag. If the pepper is too hot, wait 5-10 more minutes in the bag or put it under running cold water to remove the skin. Roughly chop the pepper and puree with the rest of ingredients. Consistency should be smooth.
4. In large pot, heat olive oil to medium-high. Once heated, whisk in the pureed mixture. Let the sauce reduce and thicken over high heat (about 25 minutes) stirring every once in a while.

Stock Cooking Directions:

1. Shell the crab legs making sure to reserve any running juices that flow out in the process. In large pot, heat olive oil to medium high, add onion, garlic and jalapeno cooking for 2 minutes.
2. Add the crab shells and juices from shelling. Crush shells into the mixture to release more juices.
3. Let cook for 5 minutes.
4. Add white wine and let reduce for 1 minute, add thyme and pepper corns.
5. Simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
6. Strain broth and mix broth into sofrito.
7. Season with salt and balance acidity with lime juice if needed.
8. Warm crab meat for 5 minutes before serving, making sure the soup broth isn’t too hot to cook the crab further.

Assemblage:

1. Ladle broth with crab chunks into soup bowl. Add the cooked noodles and garnish with lime, sliced jalapeno and cilantro.

Chef's Note:

This soup tastes the best very spicy. To infuse more spice, add more jalapeno (or a spicier pepper) to the stock earlier. Spicy crab soup tastes even better the next day.

Serves 6, 2 hours total to prep and cook

Recipe by Eat Seattle.