If you like seafood chowders and stews, you will love this creamy crab soup! With Old Bay seasoning, lump crab meat, half-and-half, and sherry, this soup is flavorful, comforting, and emblematic of the type of creamy bisque and meals enjoyed on the seashore. Tuck into a bowl and you may even start daydreaming of the smell of ocean air.
As worthy as crab soup is of being served at an Eastern shore pier, it is one that you can easily make at home. Just shop for your fresh crab (see my buying tips below), grab a few simple ingredients and your soup pot, and a delicious dinner of flavorful soup will be ready in under 30 minutes! For more classic soup recipes, check out my broccoli cheese soup, minestrone soup recipe, and potato soup recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Crab Meat – use fresh crab meat, if possible, or refrigerated tubs of crab for the best flavor; canned contains too many preservatives and additional ingredients that mar the taste. If you can’t find lump crab meat, bake or boil your own crab legs and pull the meat out from them yourself.
Half & Half – use high-quality half and half, as its flavor is integral to the soup. Also, please don’t substitute milk, as the texture and richness of the soup just won’t be the same. If you need to substitute half and half, use a 1:1 mixture of heavy cream and whole milk or double the unsalted butter and use 1⅓ cup whole milk.
Old Bay Seasoning – a classic seasoning blend created in the 1930s, Old Bay is a blend of 18 different spices traditionally used to flavor seafood, crab cakes, and more. I use the storebought variety but you can also use a homemade old bay blend if you have a favorite recipe for it.
Broth or Stock – beef broth or seafood stock, either homemade or storebought, is ideal for this recipe. If necessary, chicken broth or stock can be substituted, but the soup won’t have the same depth and richness.
Sherry – contributes a sweet and nutty taste to the soup. Use cooking sherry, or the bottles of sherry that are commonly found in the spice section of the supermarket. Drinking sherry can also be used, though you will likely need to add an extra pinch of salt or two.
How to Make Crab Soup
1. In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown and have a nutty fragrance, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, Old Bay, and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in the all-purpose flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes.
3. Slowly whisk in broth, half and half, and sherry. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Stir in the crab meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup just starts to bubble, 4 to 5 minutes more. Garnish with chives and serve hot with squeezes of lemon juice.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Whisk the soup thoroughly. Whisk the soup well after adding the broth, half and half, and sherry, as bits of the flour can stick around the bottom edges of the pan. Additionally, whisking it will allow the soup to heat and thicken up without scalding.
- Avoid using imitation crab meat. Often made with fish instead of actual crab, it is best to avoid using imitation crab meat for this soup. It will not provide the right sweet and rich crab flavor and does not cook up well in the creamy broth.
- Add water to thin out if desired. If the soup is too thick for your liking, stir in additional broth, half & half, or water by the tablespoon until it is your desired consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. For best results, do not freeze the soup as the texture of the soup is compromised in the freezing and thawing process. Reheat the soup in the microwave on medium-high heat or in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring it occasionally or until it is warmed through. Stir in water milk by the tablespoon as needed to thin the soup, as it can thicken up over the storage, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Serve bowls of creamy crab soup hot with lemon wedges, chopped chives, and freshly cracked pepper to serve. Make a full and satisfying meal by serving the bread with oyster crackers or crusty bread and whipped butter.
Add extra bold flavor to the soup by stirring in 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, or give it a kick with red pepper flakes. Make the recipe into a chowder by cooking 1¼ cup of chopped green beans, lima beans, or cubed potatoes with the onions and seasoning. For enhanced Old Bay notes, sprinkle in additional seasoning to taste before serving. For a tomato-based Maryland crab soup, leave out the flour and half-and-half, add a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, a couple of bay leaves, and a little extra broth if needed.
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If you’ve tried this crab soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Crab Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ medium yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups beef broth or seafood stock (480ml)
- 1½ cups half and half (360ml)
- ⅓ cup sherry (80ml)
- 1 pound lump crab meat picked through to remove any shells (450g)
- Chopped chives
- Lemon Wedges to serve
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, add the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the milk solids in the butter turn golden brown and have a nutty fragrance, about 4 minutes. Add the onion, Old Bay, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very tender, about 12 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in broth, half and half, and sherry. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Stir in the crab meat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the soup just starts to bubble, 4 to 5 minutes more. Garnish with chives and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Whisk the soup thoroughly. Whisk the soup well after adding the broth, half and half, and sherry, as bits of the flour can stick around the bottom edges of the pan. Additionally, whisking it will allow the soup to heat and thicken up without scalding.
- Avoid using imitation crab meat. Often made with fish instead of actual crab, it is best to avoid using imitation crab meat for this soup. It will not provide the right sweet and rich crab flavor and does not cook up well in the creamy broth.
- Add water to thin out if desired. If the soup is too thick for your liking, stir in additional broth, half & half, or water by the tablespoon until it is your desired consistency.
