Maryland Crab Soup with Old Bay

Why you’ll love it

• Big Chesapeake flavor: sweet crab, tomato and a warm kick of Old Bay in every spoonful.
• Light but filling, with potatoes and a garden’s worth of vegetables.
• Weeknight easy: one pot and about an hour from start to finish.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the soup base

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery ribs, diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning, plus more for serving
• 1 can (28 oz / 794 g) diced tomatoes, with their juices
• 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium beef broth
• 2 cups (480 ml) seafood stock or water
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 oz / 340 g), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) cubes
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups (about 10 oz / 280 g) frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, green beans and lima beans)

For the crab and serving

• 1 lb (450 g) lump or backfin crab meat, picked over for shells
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Lemon wedges and oyster crackers or crusty bread, for serving

Step-by-step method

1. Soften the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and Old Bay and stir 1 minute, until fragrant.

2. Build the broth. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, beef broth, seafood stock, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, 15 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender.

3. Add the mixed vegetables. Stir in the frozen mixed vegetables, return to a simmer and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until the potatoes, carrots and lima beans are completely tender.

4. Check the crab. While the soup simmers, spread the crab meat on a plate and gently feel through it with your fingertips for any bits of shell or cartilage, trying not to break up the lumps.

5. Add the crab. Reduce the heat to low and gently fold in the crab. Heat 3 to 5 minutes, just until the crab is hot, without letting the soup boil. Remove the bay leaf. Season with the pepper, then taste before adding salt, since Old Bay is already salty.

6. Serve. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and a pinch of Old Bay, and serve with lemon wedges and oyster crackers or crusty bread.

How to know it is done

The soup is ready when a cube of potato and a piece of carrot are tender all the way through when pierced with a fork, and the crab is heated through (165°F / 74°C) but still in visible lumps. The broth should be brick red and brothy, not thick; if it has reduced too much, add a splash of stock.

Tips for the best result

• Do not skip the beef broth. It is the traditional Maryland base and gives depth that seafood stock alone cannot.
• Add the crab at the very end and never let the soup boil afterward, or the delicate meat will shred and turn rubbery.
• Claw meat costs less than lump and has a sweeter, stronger flavor, so it is a great choice for soup.
• Like most soups, it is even better the next day; if you plan leftovers, add the crab only to the portion you are serving.

Variations and substitutions

• Crab-house style: simmer 2 or 3 cleaned crab bodies or a few cooked crab claws in the broth along with the potatoes, then remove them before adding the crab meat.
• Fresh vegetables: replace the frozen mix with 1/2 cup each fresh corn kernels, cut green beans, lima beans and peas.
• Spicier: add 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper with the Old Bay, or a few dashes of hot sauce at the table.
• Shrimp and crab: use 8 oz (225 g) crab and 8 oz (225 g) peeled small shrimp, adding the shrimp 3 minutes before the crab.
• Lighter on sodium: use no-salt-added tomatoes and broth, and season with salt-free seafood seasoning, adding Old Bay to taste at the end.

Make ahead

Make the soup through step 3 up to 2 days ahead. Cool, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, bring it back to a gentle simmer, then add the crab and finish as in steps 5 and 6.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat just until steaming, without boiling, so the crab stays tender. For freezing, it is best to freeze the soup base without the crab for up to 3 months (the potatoes will soften slightly); thaw overnight in the refrigerator, reheat and add fresh crab.