Authentic Maryland Crab Soup
As a native Marylander, I have strong opinions about Maryland crab soup (since I’ve been eating it my whole life). Above all, blue crab should be the star (just like it is in my crab cake recipe), and it should absolutely shine in the final product! The soup shouldn’t have any unnecessary extra ingredients, but it should absolutely include Old Bay. There needs to be plenty of veggies too (and perhaps some saltines or oyster crackers on the side!). Today’s recipe is simple, but full of flavor. It’s perfectly salty and spicy and is a hit with locals and visitors alike (just like my personal favorite, cream of crab soup!), and it’s an absolute staple in my house. I can’t wait to hear how you like it!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Authentic! This is the soup I grew up with here in Maryland (with a slice of Maryland peach cake for dessert, of course!). The crab is the star flavor, and it’s perfectly enhanced by the Old Bay. I was careful to not overshadow it with additional ingredients. Packed with veggies. This is a classic crab soup attribute. We’re using a combination of fresh and frozen veggies for ease. Surprisingly simple to make. We’ll start with a mirepoix, then toss in our veggies and spices. The crab goes in last, and after some simmering, it’s ready to enjoy!
How This Recipe Came to Be
This recipe is adapted from my dad’s recipe, which is adapted from a recipe from Eddie’s Market in Baltimore. I don’t stray too far from his recipe, but I did make some subtle changes. Instead of tossing EVERYTHING but the crab in the pot like my dad does, I start by sautéing the onion, carrots and celery in a bit of butter. This gives us a great base to build upon that’s still simple but adds flavor. The tomato taste in many recipes can be rather bold, so I cook the tomatoes in the base to help neutralize some of the acidity and deepen their flavor. I cook the spices with the tomatoes to help develop their flavor too (similarly to how we do it in my meat sauce, another favorite around here).
What You Need
Before we get started, let’s chat ingredients. Pay special attention to the crab, it’s the star of the show after all. SAM’S TIP: With the amount of Old Bay used (which is primarily salt), you really shouldn’t need to add any salt or pepper. If you taste taste and decide your soup needs salt, feel free to add it; but I have never needed to! I also intentionally omitted garlic. As much as I love it (have you tried my garlic knots?!), it just doesn’t belong in this soup. Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Maryland Crab Soup
SAM’S TIP: While this crab soup is beloved by my family, it isn’t my favorite crab soup; cream of crab actually is. What I love to do is make a 50/50 crab soup, which is just what it sounds like: you pour a ladle of Maryland crab soup into cream of crab soup, gently stir together, and enjoy. YUM! Stay tuned for my authentic Maryland crab cake recipe, coming soon! 🦀 Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified of all the newest recipes, and find my free recipe tutorials on YouTube 💜
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