Best 5 Blue Crab Soup Recipes

MARYLAND CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Place whole tomatoes, water, lima beans, corn, sliced carrots, chopped onion, Old Bay seasoning, and beef broth, in a 4 quart pot. Heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
• Bring 1 gallon water to boil. Add crab claws and boil 6 minutes. Drain crab and set aside
• Stir crabmeat (and crabs claws, if desired) into tomato and vegetable mixture. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes longer. Serve hot.

CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• 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.

CREAM OF CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a 3-qt. saucepan; stir in flour, seafood seasoning, salt and curry powder. Cook until thickened and bubbly. Gradually add milk; cook and stir until mixture is hot (do not boil). , Remove cartilage from crab if necessary. Add crab and parsley to soup; cook and stir just until crab is heated. If desired, thin soup with additional milk; garnish with parsley.

SOUTH CAROLINA SHE-CRAB SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a smooth paste, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in the onion, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir for about 4 minutes.
• Gradually whisk in the half and half cream so that no lumps form. Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, and pour in half of the sherry. Season with dill, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until soup has reduced by 1/3. Add crabmeat, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Ladle soup into bowls, and top off with a splash of the remaining sherry and a sprinkle of fresh chives.

BLUE CRAB AND MELON SOUP WITH NORI CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• Pour enough water into a large stockpot fitted with a strainer basket to reach bottom of strainer. Bring to a boil, and add crabs. Cover and steam for five minutes. Transfer steamed crabs in strainer to sink to cool.
• Working in batches, purée melon in a food processor until smooth, and reserve (you should have six and a half cups purée).
• When crabs are cool enough to handle, clean them: with kitchen scissors, cut off eyes and mouth, and remove and discard top shells and spongy, pointed gills beneath. From underside of each crab, remove cape of shell that tapers to a point, and discard. With a large sharp chef's knife, chop crabs into small pieces, and reserve.
• In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium-low heat, add leeks and salt, and sauté, stirring, until tender but not browned, six minutes. Add chopped crabs, and cook over medium heat about 8 minutes, or until pan is nearly dry and crabs are very fragrant. Pour 1/4 cup chardonnay into pan and continue to cook, stirring, two minutes. Pour melon purée over crabs and leeks, and add seeds. Simmer over medium-low heat for a half-hour, stirring occasionally.
• Place crème fraîche in a small bowl, and set it in a medium bowl filled with ice. Whip with a whisk until thick, about two minutes.
• Tear seaweed paper into pieces about 1-inch-square. Working in batches, process them to a powder in a spice grinder or coffee mill. Fold one tablespoon of powder into thickened crème fraîche.
• Strain soup through a fine mesh strainer. Add remaining chardonnay, lump crab meat and chives. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, and divide evenly among six bowls. Garnish with dollops of nori crème fraîche and serve immediately.