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    Home » Soup » Easy Crab Soup Recipe

    Easy Crab Soup Recipe

    Published: Dec 27, 2022 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy crab soup recipe requires only 5 ingredients and it is done in less than 30 minutes! A hearty soup with tasty flavors from the ocean will fill you up and warm you up. This meal tastes complex but is actually very simple!

    A bowl of crab soup with cream swirled in and lemon slices on top.

    Original post created: August 2014 | Updated: December 2022

    Why This Recipe Works

    If I lived closer to the coast, I would enjoy tons of crab, lobster and shrimp on a regular basis. Here in the Midwest, we don’t have access to fresh seafood, sadly. I love incorporating packaged lump crabmeat into recipes such as this yummy soup!

    The simplicity of this soup is mind-blowing. When you scroll down to the recipe card you might gasp. It requires only FIVE ingredients but doesn’t taste like it.

    If you are looking for a super easy dinner option that’ll fill up the bellies at your table, you’re in luck!

    Recipe Ingredients

    Ingredients for crab soup in bowls and lined up.

    Butter – You may use salted and unsalted butter, depending on your taste preferences.

    Crab meat – Use fresh jumbo lump crab meat when possible, but canned crab meat can be used, as well.

    Heavy whipping cream – Replace a portion of the heavy cream with milk to slim down the recipe.

    Milk – Use any variety of milk to create this dish. Whole, 2%, 1% or skim all work great.

    Cooking sherry – This ingredient can be found in the same aisle as vinegar in your local grocery store.

    Two photos side by side of ingredients in a Dutch oven, including crab meat, butter, milk, cream and sherry.

    How To Make Crab Soup

    Step 1

    Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Add the crab meat, whipping cream and milk.

    Cream being poured into a saucepan with crab meat and butter.

    Bring to a boil over medium heat then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes and stir occasionally.

    Step 2

    Remove the mixture from heat and add dry sherry and a little salt and black pepper for good measure.

    Hand adding pepper to a pot of crab soup.

    And that is it! So easy.

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    Recipe Notes

    • Fresh lemon juice and saltine crackers or oyster crackers are the perfect complement to this soup.
    • If you have it on hand, add a sprinkling of old bay seasoning!
    • To slim down the recipe, cut the amount of butter used in half and replace half of the cream with milk.
    • A splash of Worcestershire sauce adds a punch of flavor.

    How To Store Leftover Soup

    Store leftover crab soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for best results. Freezing the soup is not recommended. The cream in the soup will cause it to lose quality once thawed and reheated.

    How To Add Flavor To Soup

    Check out these tips to learn how to add flavor to your next batch of soup!

    What To Serve With Soup

    Soup is an easy, comforting meal to prepare for dinner any time of the year. But what do you serve alongside it? Click over for 33 delicious ideas about what to serve with soup.

    How To Make Maryland Crab Soup

    This creamy crab soup recipe is quite different from Maryland Crab Soup. The Maryland version is made using crab meat combined with tomatoes, chicken or beef broth or seafood stock, beans, corn, Old Bay seasoning and sometimes vegetables such as carrots, onions, celery or green beans.

    Spoon lifting a bite of soup with crab meat out of a bowl.

    Canned Crab vs Fresh Crab Meat

    Fresh crab meat is more costly since it requires extra work to harvest the meat. It has amazing flavor and will make your next recipe taste delicious! If you have the time and are willing to put in the work, I highly recommend using fresh crab meat.

    Canned or packaged crab meat is available on your grocer’s shelf. You can pop this ingredient straight out of the can. Often it comes with fillers, so pay attention to the ingredient list. Added flavors may affect the flavors in your recipe.

    What is Imitation Crab Meat

    Imitation crab meat is not actually crab meat, so be sure to read the label first. It looks similar to crab meat and flakes in the same way, but it is actually Alaska pollock.

    Cooking Sherry vs Drinking Sherry

    Both cooking and drinking sherry will work for any recipe, but there are a few notable differences to consider. Cooking sherry is meant for cooking-use only. It is not something you would drink on its own.

    Cooking sherry contains sodium in order to extend the shelf life. Taste test the recipe first and add salt as needed when using this ingredient for cooking.

    Another good reason to choose cooking sherry is its affordability! Once opened, drinking sherry has a short shelf life. You will need to use it fairly quickly to avoid wasting it.

    More Crab Recipes

    • Mango Crab Guacamole
    • Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
    • Crab Cakes

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    If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

    Easy Cream of Crab Soup Recipe

    This easy crab soup recipe requires only 5 ingredients and it is done in less than 30 minutes! This meal tastes complex but is actually very simple!
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 727kcal
    Author: Megan Porta

    Ingredients

    • 6 tbsp butter
    • 1 lb crab meat
    • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
    • 2 cups milk
    • 1 tbsp cooking sherry
    • Salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Add the crab meat, whipping cream and milk. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce to low heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.
    • Remove from heat and add sherry, salt and pepper. Serve with lemon wedges and saltine crackers.

    Notes

    • Fresh lemon juice and saltine crackers are the PERFECT complement to this soup.
    • If you have it on hand, add a sprinkling of old bay seasoning!
    • To slim down the recipe, half the amount of butter used and replace half of the cream with milk.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 727kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 41g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 242mg | Sodium: 1162mg | Potassium: 535mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2499IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 1mg
    Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Scott

      September 16, 2022 at 9:09 am

      5 stars
      Great ! Now the kids want it all the time . I live near the bay so the crabs are free . A rather cheap soup to make

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        September 16, 2022 at 10:25 pm

        Oh, lucky! I would definitely enjoy it a lot more frequently than. Thank you, Scott.

        Reply
    2. Robert

      April 06, 2022 at 7:33 am

      Where does the lemon come into play?

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        April 07, 2022 at 4:29 am

        Hi Robert, this is part of the recipe notes in the post where I share: Fresh lemon juice and saltine crackers are the PERFECT complement to this soup.

        Reply
    3. Smooth Operator

      February 10, 2022 at 8:19 pm

      I used some left over Phillips refrigerated crab meat that had turned mushy but not spoiled, added a stalk of finely chopped celery for mouth feel, and it came out great.

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        February 11, 2022 at 12:08 am

        Thanks for the tip! Glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    4. B Newton

      March 19, 2021 at 5:42 pm

      5 stars
      Easy, quick and damn good. Thanks

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        March 22, 2021 at 3:50 pm

        Love that review! Thank you for trying it and sharing us your thoughts.

        Reply
    5. Ranelle Naylor

      December 26, 2020 at 8:20 pm

      5 stars
      It’s was delicious. But I did simple change, we had left over lobster and dungeness crabs.

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        January 04, 2021 at 9:21 pm

        That sounds like a great tweak! Thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    6. Vic

      October 20, 2020 at 6:34 am

      5 stars
      Wow this came out great! My husband ended up making this in our instant pot and omit the sherry (since we did not have any) and added in some chicken sausage (but I would not recommend adding too much or it will overpower the soup), shrimp and carrots. We also used half of the amount of butter.

      Before adding the sausage, it was really good but we just wanted to use up leftover sausage we had in the freezer.

      I will definitely be making this recipe again in the future.

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        October 20, 2020 at 10:04 pm

        Those are great tweaks. I’m with you, I like to use what I have on hand too. Apple juice is a good substitute at times for Sherry too if you ever need that hack. Thanks for sharing all this – I appreciate it and so will others who are looking at it!

        Reply
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