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–+ servings
Close-up of a bowl of homemade crab soup featuring a whole crab claw, creamy broth, chopped parsley, and visible crab meat chunks.

crab soup

A creamy, comforting crab soup inspired by a little diner near the Baltimore harbor. Packed with fresh crab meat, aromatic vegetables, and a smooth finish from cream and Old Bay seasoning. Restaurant-quality soup made simple at home.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Comfort Food, Dinner, Soup
Cuisine: American, Coastal, Maryland Cuisine
Calories: 390
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb Lump crab meat - Fresh or canned picked over for shells
  • 4 cups Chicken broth - or seafood broth
  • 1 cup Heavy cream - Substitute options listed in notes
  • 2 tablespoon Butter - Unsalted preferred
  • 1 medium Yellow onion - Diced
  • 2 stalks Celery - Diced
  • 2 medium Carrots - Diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic - Minced
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning - Or to taste
  • 3 sprigs Fresh thyme - or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 Bay leaves - Remove after simmering
  • 2 tablespoon Dry sherry - Optional adds depth
  • to taste Salt and white pepper

Equipment

  • 1 Large heavy-bottomed pot (or Dutch oven)
  • 1 Sharp knife (for chopping vegetables)
  • 1 Cutting board
  • 1 Wooden spoon (for stirring)
  • 1 Fine mesh strainer (optional, for straining broth)

Method
 

  1. Gently melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until fully liquefied and foamy.
    Hearty seafood soup with carrots, celery, potatoes, shrimp, and herbs simmering in a Dutch oven, with visible bay leaf and cracked pepper.
  2. Add diced onion, celery, and carrots to the pot and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until tender.
    Rustic bowl of crab and shrimp soup with a clear golden broth, garnished with thyme sprigs, showing whole shrimp, diced vegetables, and seafood.
  3. Stir in the minced garlic and cook briefly, just until it releases a rich, fragrant aroma.
    Colorful chopped vegetables including carrots, celery, onions, and parsley cooking in a large skillet, showing the vegetable base for crab soup.
  4. Carefully pour in the chicken or seafood broth and bring it to a gentle simmer, not a boil.
    Overhead view of a creamy crab soup simmering in a pot, filled with large chunks of crab meat, herbs, and visible flecks of seasoning in a rich, white broth.
  5. Add bay leaves, fresh thyme, and a pinch of Old Bay seasoning to deepen the flavor as it simmers.
    Close-up of a bowl of homemade crab soup featuring a whole crab claw, creamy broth, chopped parsley, and visible crab meat chunks.

Nutrition

Serving: 300gCalories: 390kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 23gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 820mgPotassium: 520mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 5600IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 1.4mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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