Classic Cream of Crab Soup
This soup recipe uses classic Old Bay seasoning with buttery crab, crisp celery, and fresh onions. It has a creamy thick texture that melts in your mouth with a little bit of heat from cayenne, tasting like a fancy ocean-front restaurant right at home!
Classic, Creamy, Crab!
This soup has the classic Old Bay seasoning cooked into buttery crab giving a touch of spice with the sweetness of crab for an epic palatable experience! My favorite part about this soup is that the crab is left in chunks instead of blended smooth like in traditional bisques. The chunks of crab combined with the softened onion and celery slices gives this soup a perfectly balanced texture if you’re picky like me.
Between the flavor and texture, this soup is one of the best!
What are the health benefits?
This indulgent soup is very nutritious: the crab delivers high-quality protein and heart-healthy omega-3s, onions provide powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, and celery offers hydration plus essential minerals like potassium and magnesium!
Nutrition facts per 1 cup serving:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.
Crab
Crab is packed with high-quality protein and healthy omega-3s that are great for your heart and brain, plus it's super low in saturated fat compared to other proteins. It's also loaded with zinc and selenium that help keep your skin healthy and repair tissue damage.
Onions
Onions are antioxidant superstars that fight inflammation and support heart health. They feed the good bacteria in your gut, boosting digestion and immunity. Plus, they're rich in vitamin C and natural compounds that help lower blood pressure.
Celery
Celery is packed with minerals like magnesium, iron, and sodium that help your body function properly. It may help lower blood pressure, keeps you hydrated, and gives you a good dose of vitamin K and fiber!
What you will need
6-7.5 quart pot
Measuring Spoons
Two 48 oz Storage Containers
How to Make it Step by Step
1. Gather Ingredients
This soup is packed with nutrients! You will need crab, sweet onion, and celery. For the spices, Old Bay seasoning is a must combined with paprika and cayenne (optional) for and extra kick. Tomato paste and flour create a roux that thickens the soup into a thick creamy broth. You can use either seafood stock or vegetable broth, and whole milk or half and half. I personally prefer half and half for a thicker consistency.
Top the flavor off with lemon juice and parsley!
2. Heat Buttered Crab
Add 2 tablespoons of butter, crab, and Old Bay seasoning to a large pot or dutch oven and cook uncovered on medium heat until crab absorbs butter, around 3-4 minutes. Remove crab from pot and set aside for later.
Set aside some additional crab to add to some buttery toast for serving later!
3. Cook Veggies and Roux
Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the pot, add onions, celery, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, optional cayenne, and tomato paste and cook covered until onions turn translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
Then add flour and stir until it turns pasty, around 1 minute.
4. Add Stock and Simmer
Add crab, seafood stock, sherry or white wine, lemon juice, and parsley. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Don’t stir too much to try to keep the crab in larger chunks!
5. Add Dairy
Remove pot from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Add half and half, and milk.
6. Serve!
Once blended, serve 1-cup servings with buttery crab toast, cornbread, crab cakes, or homemade hush puppies! Enjoy!
Storage (Because You’ll Want Leftovers)
This soup stores well, which makes it practical for meal prep. After cooling completely, it keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavors develop and improve overnight.
For longer storage, it freezes well for up to 3 months. I portion it into individual containers so I can thaw single servings as needed. Just thaw overnight in the fridge, then gently reheat on the stovetop with a stir to restore the smooth texture. It reheats nicely and maintains its quality.
Classic Cream of Crab Soup
Ingredients
Instructions
- Add 2 tablespoons of butter, crab, and Old Bay seasoning to pot and cook uncovered on medium heat until crab absorbs butter, around 3-4 minutes. Remove crab from pot and set aside for later.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the pot, add onions, celery, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, optional cayenne, and tomato paste and cook covered until onions turn translucent, about 5-10 minutes.
- Add flour and stir until it turns pasty, around 1 minute.
- Add crab, seafood stock, sherry or white wine, lemon juice, and parsley. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove pot from heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Add half and half, and milk. Stir and serve!
Notes
Add some crab to buttery toast for serving!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
181Fat
10 gSat. Fat
6 gCarbs
11 gFiber
1 gNet carbs
10 gSugar
5 gProtein
13 gSodium
885 mgCholesterol
45 mgNutritional information is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.
