Crab Soup
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This rich and creamy crab soup seasoned with Old Bay is the essence of the Eastern shore.
Filled with fresh lump crab meat and seasoned with Old Bay, a spice blend that comes from my home state of Maryland, this soup tastes like a day on the Eastern shore. In fact, the recipe was scribbled down on a piece of paper for me by the chef from the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay, when we were there celebrating my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. It is unapologetically rich and indulgent. Please don’t be tempted to substitute the half & half with milk. It won’t work unless you add more butter and flour, which would defeat the whole purpose of making it lighter. I promise, it’s 100% worth it!
What you’ll need to make Crab Soup
If possible, use fresh-off-the-boat crab meat. It comes in a clear plastic container and is usually resting on ice in the seafood department. It’s not always available depending on the season and region, so your second-best option is refrigerated crab meat, such as Phillip’s, which is readily available year round. Just avoid shelf-stable canned crab meat; it contains additives that affect the taste and texture of the meat.
Old Bay seasoning is a spice blend that you can find at most supermarkets near the seafood department. If you’d like to make your own, I recommend this recipe. I love Old Bay and use it in many recipes, such as Maryland Crab Cakes, Salmon Cakes, Shrimp Salad, Chesapeake Corn with Tomatoes and Basil, and Peel n’ Eat Shrimp.
How to make Crab Soup
To begin, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, then add the flour.
Whisk for about 1 minute, until well blended.
Whisking constantly, gradually add the half & half.
Add the mustard, Old Bay, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil, whisking frequently (be sure to scrape the edges of the pot, where the flour mixture tends to settle).
As soon as the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the sherry and crabmeat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
If the soup is too thick, add water, little by little, to thin it out (it will thicken the longer it sits on the stove, even off of the heat). Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chives. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
You may also like
- French Onion Soup
- Vegetable Soup with Pesto
- Southwestern Corn Chowder
- Easy Butternut Squash Soup
- Potato Leek Soup
- Summer Corn Soup with Fresh Herbs
Crab Soup
This rich and creamy crab soup seasoned with Old Bay is the essence of the Eastern shore.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups half & half
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, plus more for serving (see note)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- ½ pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shells
- Finely chopped chives, for garnish
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optional; see note)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute, until well blended.
- Whisking constantly, gradually add the half & half. Add the mustard, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil, whisking frequently (be sure to scrape the edges of the pot, where the flour mixture tends to settle). As soon as the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in the sherry and crabmeat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If the soup is too thick, add water, little by little, to thin it out (it will thicken the longer it sits on the stove, even off of the heat). Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chives. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
- Note: Old Bay seasoning is sold in the seafood department at most supermarkets. It can also be ordered online or made from scratch.
- Note: Lemon is really only necessary if not using the sherry.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 475
- Fat: 37 g
- Saturated fat: 23 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Sugar: 11 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Cholesterol: 167 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This soup was my first attempt at ever making Crab Soup – which is one of my favorite soups. I really didn’t know what to expect because I couldn’t imagine anything so simple could really taste very good..well this soup is INSANELY amazing! I fed it to a friend who asked what restaurant I got it from! I shared the recipe with multiple friends who all made it – some putting their own spin on it, one by adding Asiago cheese – but I loved it EXACTLY as it was. Better than most Crab Soups I have gotten in restaurants! I know what I will be making every single time crab goes on sale! Thank you for this great and simple go to soup that is now definitely a favorite!
I’d like to prepare ahead of time. Any suggestions for prepping or reheating?
Hi Nancy, I’d just reheat it on the stove until hot. It will thicken in the fridge, so you’ll likely need to add some water while reheating it. Just go a little at a time. Hope you enjoy!
Fantastic soup – rich enough for a small dinner with crusty bread. Only thing I did, because I like it so much, is added a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Excellent!!
Hi! I love all of your recipes! I plan to make this tonight! Can I use heavy cream instead? I’m not good with half and half it always curdles on me😩
I think that would work but it will be VERY rich. You could try it with 2 cups of heavy cream and 2 cups of milk. Please LMK how it turns out!
I did that and it’s almost perfect. I added too much salt! I tried adding some potatoes. Anything else I can do? More milk?
Sure, a little more milk with work. Just add it a little at a time until you get to the level of saltiness you’re looking for. 🙂
The store was out of half and half so I used 2 cups heavy cream and 2 cups whole milk. It turned out great.
Added mushrooms. Omitted sherry but added extra lemon. Super yummy!
Absolutely the best cream of crab soup I’ve ever had and easy to make! Served to guests and they raved about it. I doubled the quantity of crab meat to make it extra special and added more old bay – worth every single calorie!
Do you recommend using cooking sherry or dry sherry purchased at a liquor store.
I’d use the sherry from the liquor store. Enjoy!
Good soup, but much better the second day.
This is the recipe I have been looking for! The only change I made was added a little more crab meat and sherry, to taste. Was perfect, so good I immediately made a second batch. This will be a new staple for my seafood Christmas open house.
We’ve made this twice now. Absolutely delicious and so easy!
I have canned crabmeat someone bought and gave me. I’m looking for something to do with it. Would it be reasonable in this soup, or better to mask it more in a dip, etc? Thank you! This looks amazing!
I think I’d save it for a dip as it will have an impact on the taste of the soup — sorry!
Can you use heavy cream, if so should it be diluted?
Yes, I’d probably use 2 cups of heavy cream and 2 cups of low-fat milk. Hope you enjoy!