Homemade Crab Soup-No Heavy Cream Or "Cream Of" Soups! - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup light butter (such as Promise brand)
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups clam juice
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
10 ounces white corn, frozen
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium Old Bay Seasoning
1 bay leaf
3 cups crabmeat (picked through to remove any shells)
1 cup skim milk
1 (8 ounce) package neufchatel cheese, cubed (1/3 less fat cream cheese)
salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until tender and translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add the flour to the pot, stirring to mix well and cooking for 3 to 4 more minutes.
Whisk in the clam juice and chicken broth. Bring them to a boil.
Once boiling, add in the corn, old bay, and bay leaf. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, uncovered.
Gently stir in the milk, cubed cream cheese, crab meat, and any necessary salt/pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cream cheese is melted and the soup is heated through. Remove the bay leaf, grab some saltines or oyster crackers, and enjoy!
**Some helpful hints: The clam juice is found in a bottle in my grocery store, not in a can. Also, the frozen corn doesn't need to be thawed before adding to the soup, and canned corn can be substituted. Finally, 1/3 less fat cream cheese is sometimes called \"Neufchatel\" cheese.