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A creamy crab soup with plenty of crab meat and potatoes flavored with bacon, seafood stock, and clam juice to make this delicious hearty soup.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 bacon strips (chopped)
  • 3 celery ribs (chopped)
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 2 small garlic cloves (minced)
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup seafood stock (or chicken stock)
  • 8 oz clam juice (or seafood stock)
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • salt to taste
  • 3 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed)
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
  • 1 lb crab meat (cooked or canned)
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar

Instructions

  1. Place a large stock pot over medium-low heat (start with a cold pan); add olive oil and chopped bacon and cook slowly until crisp.
  2. Spoon off all but about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat if there’s excess.
  3. Turn heat to medium and sauté chopped celery and chopped onion in the reserved bacon fat until softened and slightly sweet.
  4. Add minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  5. Sprinkle in paprika, dry mustard powder, ground nutmeg, black pepper, and all-purpose flour; stir to coat the vegetables.
  6. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
  7. Slowly pour in the seafood stock while stirring, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  8. Stir in the clam juice and add the half-and-half.
  9. Increase heat to bring the soup to a slow boil; stir occasionally and cook 1–2 minutes until it thickens slightly.
  10. Taste and season with salt as needed.
  11. Add peeled, cubed potatoes, the dried bay leaf, and chopped parsley.
  12. Simmer uncovered 15–20 minutes until potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
  13. Gently stir in the cooked crab meat to warm through without breaking it up.
  14. Stir in white wine vinegar, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Notes

For best flavor and texture, use crab labeled “crab claw” or “jumbo lump” if possible, though lump crab meat also works well., You can omit bacon for a vegetarian version; sauté vegetables in olive oil and use seafood or vegetable stock., Use whole milk, low-fat milk, light cream, single cream, or whipping cream as alternatives to half-and-half to adjust richness., Taste as you go with salt because clam juice can be salty; consider low-sodium stocks., If the soup is too thin, simmer uncovered longer or mash some potato cubes into the soup to thicken., This soup can be adapted to cook in a slow cooker: brown bacon and sauté veggies first, then transfer to slow cooker with stock, clam juice, potatoes, and spices. Cook 4–6 hours on low or 2–3 hours on high, adding half-and-half and crab in the last 15-30 minutes., Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and warm gently to avoid dairy splitting., Contains shellfish and dairy; avoid serving to those with allergies., Serve with warm dinner rolls or a crisp side salad for a complete meal., A splash of white wine vinegar brightens the soup before serving.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://mamapantry.com/cream-of-crab-soup/