Maryland Cream of Crab Soup
This luxurious Cream of Crab Soup is velvety, rich, and brimming with sweet lump crab meat. Featuring authentic Chesapeake Bay flavors, this restaurant-quality soup is surprisingly easy to make at home and transforms ordinary dinner nights into special occasions.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot
- Whisk
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups half-and-half
- 1 cup seafood stock or chicken stock as substitute
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Finishing Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh lump crabmeat preferably Maryland blue crab, picked over for shells
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Carefully pick through your lump crabmeat to remove any lingering shell fragments. Be gentle to preserve the delicate lumps. Bring crabmeat to room temperature while preparing other ingredients.
- Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Once it begins to foam slightly, add the diced onion and celery. Sauté until translucent and soft, about 5-7 minutes. The vegetables should soften without browning.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes to make a roux. It should look like wet sand and smell slightly nutty when ready.
- While whisking continuously, slowly pour in the half-and-half and seafood stock. Continue whisking until completely smooth. Add the bay leaves, Old Bay seasoning, white pepper, and nutmeg.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer (never a boil) and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup should thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Reduce heat to low and gently fold in the crabmeat and sherry. Allow the soup to warm through for just 3-5 minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Remove bay leaves, stir in fresh parsley, and ladle into warmed bowls. For an extra touch of elegance, float a small additional portion of lump crabmeat atop each serving and garnish with a light dusting of Old Bay and additional parsley.
Notes
- Avoid boiling the soup as this causes curdling and toughens the crab. Keep cream soups below 180°F to prevent curdling.
- This soup doesn't freeze well due to the dairy content and delicate crab texture.
- For make-ahead options, prepare the base without crab and add fresh crab when reheating.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute coconut cream for half-and-half.
- Gluten-free flour blend works in place of all-purpose flour.
- This soup doesn't freeze well due to the dairy content and delicate crab texture.
- For make-ahead options, prepare the base without crab and add fresh crab when reheating.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute coconut cream for half-and-half.
- Gluten-free flour blend works in place of all-purpose flour.
Nutrition
Calories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 22gFat: 28gSodium: 890mgFiber: 1gCalcium: 15mgIron: 8mg
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