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A bowl of crab soup topped with chives with lemon wedges beside it.
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Crab Soup

Crab Soup: a creamy, rich, and flavorful dish with flavors of Old Bay and the ocean! Serve this soup as an appetizer, main course, or any time you want to transport yourself to the Eastern shore. For best results, use fresh or refrigerated crab meat and half and half instead of milk!
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 342kcal
Author John Kanell

Equipment

  • Large Pot

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1743mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 626IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 1mg