• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Food Blogging Resources
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Pip and Ebby

Recipe Index
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    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

    This Easy Crab Soup Recipe is a quick and flavorful dish that comes together in just 30 minutes with only five simple ingredients. Perfect for seafood lovers, it uses packaged lump crabmeat to deliver a fresh, delicious taste without any hidden ingredients or preservatives. If you’re looking for a fast, satisfying dinner that will impress your family, this is the recipe to try!

    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

    • Here in the Midwest we don’t have access to fresh seafood, so I love incorporating packaged lump crabmeat into recipes such as this yummy soup!
    • The simplicity of this creamy soup is mind-blowing. It requires only 5 ingredients but doesn’t taste like it.
    • Done in 30 minutes from start to finish!
    • If you are looking for a super easy dinner option that’ll fill up the bellies at your table, this is it!
    • No hidden ingredients, oils or preservatives.
    • Perfect easy recipe for seafood lovers!
    • It has the best flavor. I promise it’ll blow you away.

    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. Double the amount of crab meat called for in the recipe to make it an extra hearty soup!

    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 milk, 2%, 1% or skim all work great. Almond milk will alter the flavor of the dish, but can be used if needed.

    Cooking sherry – This ingredient can be found in the same aisle as vinegar at 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 butter in a Dutch oven or heavy, large saucepan. Add the crab meat, heavy 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 the 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! Enjoy!

    Popular Pip and Ebby Recipes

    • Jimmy John’s Unwich
    • Twice Baked Potatoes
    • Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
    • What To Serve With Pulled Pork
    • Instant Pot Velveeta Mac
    • Vanilla Iced Latte

    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 or another type of seafood seasoning. Add a little bit at a time and taste test after each addition.
    • 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.
    • Spice it up by adding a few splashes of hot sauce, red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper to your soup pot.
    • The best way to make this a creamier soup is to use an immersion blender.
    • A bowl of soup enjoyed the next day tastes delicious!

    How To Store Leftover Soup

    Allow leftover crab soup to cool to room temperature, then store 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 have diminished 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 Crab Soup

    This is such an easy meal that is bursting with seafood and a super rich flavor. But what do you serve alongside it? Read on for 11 delicious ideas about what to serve with crab soup! Here are a few options to consider:

    • Crusty bread
    • Grilled cheese sandwich
    • Sweet potatoes or a baked potato

    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.

    Using Canned Crab vs Fresh Crab Meat

    Fresh crab meat is more costly since more work is required 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 in, straight from 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 typically made up of 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
    • The cheese wedged into the centers of these crab stuffed mushrooms will send you to your knees. Great finger food for parties!
    • Imitation crab cakes are ready in 20 minutes, believe it or not, with simple ingredients and not a lot of filler.

    Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
    If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

    Easy Crab Soup Recipe

    This Easy Crab Soup Recipe is a quick and flavorful dish that comes together in just 30 minutes with only five simple ingredients. Perfect for seafood lovers, it uses packaged lump crabmeat to deliver a fresh, delicious taste without any hidden ingredients or preservatives. If you're looking for a fast, satisfying dinner that will impress your family, this is the recipe to try!
    4.85 from 19 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes 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 or oyster crackers are the perfect complement to this soup. 
    • If you have it on hand, add a sprinkling of old bay seasoning or another type of seafood seasoning. Add a little bit at a time and taste test after each addition.
    • 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.
    • Spice it up by adding a few splashes of hot sauce, red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper to your soup pot.
    • The best way to make this a creamier soup is to use an immersion blender.
    • A bowl of soup enjoyed the next day tastes delicious!

    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!
    « What To Serve With White Chicken Chili – 17 delish ideas!
    Perfectly Cooked Shredded Hash Browns in the Air Fryer »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Fetterly

      November 18, 2023 at 6:39 pm

      5 stars
      In sautéing the crab, I added 1-teaspoon onion powder, and added fresh cut up bacon. At the end of cooking, I added lemon zest, cooking sherry and fresh squeezed lemon juice. It was delicious!

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        November 18, 2023 at 7:39 pm

        Great additions – thanks for sharing them!

        Reply
        • Angela Badalamenti

          December 24, 2023 at 7:00 pm

          2 stars
          I made this exactly according to the recipe and it tasted like crab and milk. I added extra obey seasoning. I had an extra Sheri I even added some onion powder. Nothing helped. I did add a little bit of mustard powder and that helped a little bit. I don’t know how this is a five star recipe.

          Reply
          • Megan Porta

            December 27, 2023 at 3:41 pm

            Hi Angela – I’m so surprised to hear that. It’s such a creamy, flavorful soup. It is a simple, easy version so you can enhance it all you want!

            Reply
    2. Nizar

      September 27, 2023 at 6:27 am

      I’ll try it. many thanks.

      Reply
    3. Sue N

      August 08, 2023 at 8:18 am

      5 stars
      I made it exactly as written with fresh crab I shelled myself (a LOT of work). I used drinking sherry which added an elegant taste. It was out of this world delicious and super easy (once the crabs were shelled). Similar to oyster stew which I often make. This is a keeper and will become a house specilaty (likely with packaged crab most of the time however). Thank you for posting!

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        August 08, 2023 at 7:55 pm

        That’s great to hear! Thank you for sharing, Sue. Also, slightly craving that fresh crab now. Thanks!

        Reply
    4. 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
    5. 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
    6. 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
    7. 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
    8. 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
    9. 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
    « Older Comments
    4.85 from 19 votes (11 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Megan and I am so happy you are here! Whether you are looking for a healthy salad, easy dinner or indulgent dessert, I've got you covered! Let's dig deeper →

    Dominate Your Instant Pot!

    Food Blogging Resources

    Yummy Desserts

    Brownies With Mint Frosting Recipe

    Valentine Snack Mix Recipe

    Banana Blondies Recipe

    Instant Pot Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe

    3 Ingredient Oreo Balls – No Bake Recipe

    Brownies with Marshmallows and Rice Krispies

    Comforting Soups

    Easy Loaded Baked Potato Soup

    Easy 5 Ingredient Chili Recipe

    Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup With Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

    Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe (aka Pantry Soup)

    Ham Bone Vegetable Soup (Slow Cooker) Recipe

    Garlic Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    As Featured In

    • Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2025 Pip and Ebby on the Foodie Pro Theme

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.