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Charles' Cream of Crab Soup
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- #13418
serves/makes:
ready in:
under 30 minutes
under 30 minutes
39 reviews
6 comments
ingredients
1 pound Maryland jumbo lump crab meat
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup butter
2 pints heavy whipping cream
1 quart half and half
cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 pint milk
directions
Bring milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream to a boil. Add crab meat, fresh parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, butter, salt and pepper. When it starts to boil, make a paste of cornstarch and water to thicken soup.
cook's notes
This recipe is credited to Ms. Charlese Smith and is the Grand Prize Winner in the Soup Division of the 53rd Annual National Hard Crab Derby held in Crisfield, MD.
added by
TheCrabPlace
nutrition data
941 calories, 88 grams fat, 15 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams protein per serving. This recipe is low in carbs.
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reviews & comments
September 1, 2019
Like others, I found this bland. To adjust taste, I made the following modifications: Added 1/2 of a sweet onion, finely chopped plus 2 small stalks celery, finely chopped; Cook both in melted butter (increased by 2 more T.) Used 6 tsp. Old Bay Used 1/2 C dry sherry Reduced dairy liquids to 8 C, Using 5 C 1/2 & 1/2 and 3 C milk.
December 31, 2017
I grew up eating MD crab and this is the best cream of crab recipe ever! I've been making this recipe for years now and everyone in my family loves it.
October 30, 2016
Did not like this recipe at all, for the recipe given. Tried this recipe because it was different than many others. Many others had celery, onion, stock and flour. My husband and I followed the recipe exactly, and we found that there was too much heavy cream, half and half, and milk; that is all we tasted. It was not buttery, and it took quite a bit of corn starch paste to thicken. Not sure if the measurements of the ingredients were posted correctly in the recipe. Being from Baltimore, and eating cream of crab soup often, we were disappointed with this recipe. It is funny how many 5 star reviews don't follow the recipe exactly. How can you rate the recipe if you don't make it as intended? So yes, we had to add other ingredients to try and make this have flavor to save the crab from being wasted.
March 20, 2016
Not sure if I did something wrong, but this soup had no taste other than cream. To me there is too much half n half and whipping cream. I tried adding more old bay and other seasoning and nothing. I see in the reviews many people say they added this or that to it. So to give the original recipe a 5 star review is a misrepresentation in my opinion.
February 25, 2016
I use this recipe often. It's a crowd favorite. I have not received one complaint. I do leave out the old bay and let people add it to taste. The first time I did it, I included the old bay, and it was a bit too much for me. Everyone has their preference and it's just easier to let them add as much or as little as they want. I will mention that backfin or other non-lump crab meat is not a good cost saving substitute. I've had soup with backfin and it does not taste the same. Also, make sure you use fresh crab meat that has not sat in your refrigerator for a week. If you want to reduce your carb intake even more, leave out the corn starch and cook it a little longer or add Xantham gum.
I'm not sure if I made something other than everyone else, but I found this soup to be terrible. I tried dressing it up with sherry, dry mustard, and celery seed and it was still awful. Don't waste your time and money on this!
Words like "terrible" and "awful" aren't really helpful (see review guidelines). What was it that you didn't care for? It's a prize winning recipe with lots of favorable reviews so I'm not sure what was different that made you dislike it.
November 22, 2014
As an Eastern Shore transplant in the midwest, I made this first time two years ago at a 4th of July family celebration. Soup seemed like a poor choice at first, but this is no ordinary soup. Finally got my nephew to try the soup and his reaction was "oh my god, this is fantastic!". A steady line of midwesterners followed with similar reactions. I had requests to bring some at Thanksgiving last year and again this year. I even made some at Christmas last year. I lived in Crisfield for about two years myself back in the 80's. When you make gourmet dishes like this, the last thing on your mind should be to substitute ingredients. That being said, it just doesn't get any better than this.
September 22, 2014
Amazing soup!! Very rich but so full of flavor. The crab isn't cheap but worth it for this soup.
October 24, 2013
Absolutely love this soup. It's the best crab soup - better than any restaurant version. Trust me and do yourself a culinary favor and try it.
July 1, 2013
This is truly an iconic soup. If you haven't tried it, you must. I guarantee that this will be the best crab soup you've ever tried.
August 24, 2012
I have made this recipe a dozen times or so over the years. BEST EVER! I too use more old bay then is called for and 2 pds of lump crab. Expensive dish, but well worth every penny :)
August 2, 2012
My family & any one that has had when I make it love it!!! Although, I made some slight changes. I add 2 lbs. of crab, took out the butter, & try to buy all low fat creams.
June 6, 2012
This recipe is tops! Love,love, love it! Found it online a few years ago and my friends and family beg me to make it. I also add a splash of sherry, much more Old Bay and sometimes TWO pounds of crabmeat. YUMMY!!
April 2, 2012
I also used Sherry to mix with the cornstarch to thicken it up and I added a shallot for flavor. I used a cup of corn starch and a cup of sherry but it was a little thicker than I would have liked but still tasted fantastic. I used double the amount of Old Bay seasoning and added some garlic. Next time I think I will start with a 1/4 cup of corn starch and slowly add more if needed until I reach the desired thickness.
January 11, 2011
This is as close to a perfect crab soup as this Md girl has ever tasted. I did make a few changes based on other reviews and personal taste. I substituted 1/2 the heavy cream with evaporated milk to cut down on the fat. Started with 6 tsp of Old Bay, actually added more to my serving, but I love Old Bay. Added approx 1 tbsp finely chopped shallot, and a few good dashes of celery salt. I also can't imagine crab soup without sherry, so I used it as the mixer with the cornstarch. I will definately be making this over and over again.
October 31, 2010
Great recipe !!!! Best Cream of Crab recipe yet. Will deff go into the family recipe box !!!
I loved this recipe !!!! I did put in finely chopped onions and extra old bay seasoning. It turned out scrumptious. After reading all the reviews, I think I will try it with Sherry next time. My only complaint was with the Corn starch. It did thicken my soup, but then seemed to harden up into these clumps. So, when eating the soup, every now and then, you bite into a hardened clump of corn starch :( Not sure why that happened ???? Any feedback would be much appreciated, thanks
In follow-up to my review above ("Drew"), I recently made this recipe again, substituting evaporated milk for heavy whipping cream. It worked fine, and only 70 grams of fat instead of 320 grams!
February 5, 2010
This soup is out of this world delicious! hands down best I've ever had even from Restaurants. I live in Maryland where crabs and crab recipes are loved and this soup definitley hits the spot! I made this for a football gathering and lost count of how many compliments and recipe requests I got. thanks for this one!
December 30, 2009
This recipe is close to perfection but a mandatory is adding Sherry. It can be added during the cooking but a local Maryland style is to add in at dining to individuals taste. Using chicken broth instead of water is also the norm locally, even add a clam juice when making the thickener. Enjoy your Taste of Maryland!!
November 17, 2009
Totally awesome, as noted by everyone else here. Definitely go with the sherry instead of water. It adds a good "restaurant" flavor. I ended up using about a cup of cornstarch and half-cup of sherry to thicken it up a little. It was still plenty soupy! Speaking of plenty soupy... If it isn't apparent, you'll need a BIG pot to cook this recipe. I chose one of my larger pots and it still boiled over when I added the starch at the end. I haven't finished eating it all, but I'm guessing I'll easily get 7 or 8 bowls out of this recipe. Also (and I'm sure some folks won't appreciate me mentioning this), like all cream-based soups, this one contains a LOT of fat. I ran the numbers and it comes to about 70 grams per bowl, if you divide it into 6 servings. That's more than two Big Macs! Of course the dairy products are the culprit... particularly the heavy whipping cream, which contributes 320 grams of fat to the soup. I used "no fat" half-n-half and the soup still tasted fine. Maybe next I'll look around for a low-fat heavy whipping cream... if there is such a thing. The butter (44 grams of fat) and whole milk (16 grams of fat) aren't that big of deal, relatively speaking.
September 15, 2009
This was absolutely wonderful. I used 3 Tablespoons of Old Bay as others suggested. For the paste, I used 1/2 C water and 3/8 C cornstarch. Perfect thickness, great taste. This is a definite keeper, as I enjoy crabs as often as I can.
April 6, 2009
The best crab soup ever. If you've ever had the cream of crab soup at Dutch's Daughter's in Frederick MD and thought it was great, this recipe is a step above that. Thanks for the recipe. I make this recipe at least once a month. Thanks for a great recipe.
January 24, 2009
This was my first time making a soup from scratch, and it turned out great. A++ I used 1/4 cup corn starch and 1/2cup water for the paste. The consistancy is good, but next time I may use a little bit more corn starch. I also used half an onion and 5 tsp old bay.
December 19, 2008
I agree with JTabron! It is the best and compares to Jerry's Seafood in Lanham, MD. I called Jerry's when I called Jerry's and asked what the difference between their Crab Bisque 9which is posted on the internet and their cream of crab (which isn't no longer posted) and they told me they add curry (just a little, OMG it was awesome.
November 20, 2008
Very good recipe. Makes the best Ive tasted !!!! Thanks
November 17, 2008
Oh my goodness! This is the BEST cream of crab recipe I have every had! I added potatoes and kale, but it was so yummy!My husband can't wait for me to make it again!
November 4, 2008
Excellent recipe, very fast to prepare and expensive at today's' prices. You will need to add more seasoning and slowly add the cornstarch paste until you get the correct consistency.
October 23, 2008
I made this recipe very recently and my family loved it! The second day I heated what was left over and added a small can of potatoes. I diced 1/2 of the can and shredded the other 1/2. It was just as good as the first day.
October 6, 2008
This recipe is so easy and delightful. All of my family members love it. i brough this soup soooo much at the restaurants that i decide to make it. i also added more old bay but reading some people reviews i think I am goingto add some onions or shallots.
February 17, 2008
I also added more salt and Old Bay--I like mine thick so kept adding corn starch mixed with water==would have been good to know how much to add! But it is really good and as a Maryland crab person I will make it again!
I just went on a dinner cruise in Charlseton, SC. The She-crab soup is their specialty. It can't top this! This Crab Soup taste exactly like theirs!
October 28, 2007
my mom brought me some crabs back from md. i picked them and made this soup....yummy yummy yummy !!!was great...i increased ole bay and used sherry instead of water to thicken.
October 3, 2007
This recipe is great and super easy. I followed the advice of one reviewer and added sherry. Everyone I have served this soup to loves it. If you want restaurant quality crab soup try this easy recipe.
September 22, 2007
Having just moved from MD to CA, I wanted to bring the best part of the chesapeake area with me, and this recipe is great. It's easy and delicious. I recommend doubling the old bay, adding 1tsp of onion salt and celery salt. Also if you're like me and want a little kick add a little paprika to taste.
February 20, 2007
This was a very good recipe. I grew up in Baltimore and Cream of Crab Soup was always a staple. I now live in London and have been working to get the husband's family to love crab as much as I do. Unfortunately, I am stuck using some swarmy canned white crab, but it is better quality than you would think. I did however, make a few changes to the recipe. Instead of using water with cornstarch I use Sherry, and add shallot. A few people added onions, but I found that shallots work better with the delicate flavors of the cream and the crab. Over all, a very good recipe from scratch (found a few using canned soups...no fun)and quite tasty. Cheers for it!
December 20, 2006
This was very tasty. I used 3T of Old Bay also. I also used a small onion. I didn't know how much cornstarch to use so it wasn't as thick I would of liked. But I will definitely make it again!!
This was the first time I ever made cream of crab soup and it won't be the last!! Sure to become a family favorite. It is delicious...and to think I pay big bucks for this at restaurants!! I added onions and used 5 tsps. old bay and used chicken broth instead of water to thinken it with the corn starch. Try it, you'll like it!!
What a delicious recipe! I added a little chopped onion, celery and cooked potato cubes. I did not use the pint of milk.I increased the Old Bay to 5 Tsp. Served with Italian Sourdough bread what a good meal!
July 24, 2006
Being a native of Maryland I would say this is the best recipe. My husband and children wanted me to make it again. I did add a little bit of onion and celery. Lileva Stephens City, VA
July 21, 2006
I went to a resturant and had cream of crab soup, so I had to try it myself. My family loved it so much, my husband wanted me to make it for a church men's meeting and my daughter(who hates my cooking) asked me to make it again. How elegant and simple a meal.
March 31, 2006
This is the best cream of crab soup ever! And so easy to make. I highly recommend giving it a try.
March 15, 2006
Absolutely fabulous. For thos familiar with Jerry Seafood in Lanham MD this recipe is on the money just not as thick. I also increase the amount of Old Bay seasoning and once cooked add a little more half and half to stretch the numbers of servings. God Bless you Mr. Smith.
January 28, 2005
this recipe was wonderful and easy to make. I used 5 tsp of the bay seasoning and added a can of small shrimp to the recipe, this was filling and very creamy. The best I have found yet. We loved it. Thank you. Diana, WV
July 25, 2004
**THIS RECIPE IS GREAT!** What a creamy delight! This is the best crab soup recipe ever. The only thing I changed was doubling the Old Bay seasoning to 6 tsp (3 tbsp) and adding a small, finely chopped onion. It definitely makes at least 6 hearty servings. God bless you, Ms. Smith!