Award-Winning Maryland Cream of Crab Soup

Submitted by Raquel Grinnell

"This recipe is credited to Ms. Charlese Smith and is the Grand Prize Winner in the Soup Division of the 53rd Annual National Hard Crab Derby held in Crisfield, MD. It is very rich - not a diet soup!! I make this with one cup grated onion sauteed in the butter until very soft to start, before adding the milk and cream, but I didn't want to add that below as this is the original recipe."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 1 pot soup
• Serves: 10-12

ingredients

• 1 pint whole milk
• 1 quart half-and-half
• 2 pints heavy whipping cream
• 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat (only from Maryland will do!)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 1⁄4 cup butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
• cornstarch
• water
• dry sherry, to taste

directions

1. Bring milk, half and half, and heavy whipping cream to a boil. Add crab meat, fresh parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, butter, salt and pepper. When it starts to boil, make a paste of cornstarch and water and add to thicken soup.
2. To serve, sprinkle each serving with a bit of Old Bay and chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers and a small cream pitcher of sherry on the side for diners to add to taste. That's how we do it in Maryland!

Reviews

[Gary T.]

Excellent recipe. Absolutely perfect every time. I made one small adjustment, add white shoepeg corn.

 

[sttar126]

It always annoys me when someone gives such a low rating and than continues to give the 54 ways they would change the recipe! Submit your own recipe if it's so much better. This recipe is authentic and true to it's area. If you don't like it, don't make it. Everyone has different tastes and little things they do to make it suit them. I don't see the point in leaving bad reviews and knocking down someone else's recipe. If you note in the title it stated "rich" and not a diet soup. My entire family which has grown to about 38 people absolutely love this recipe. We like our "cream of" soups thick not watery.

 

[Victoria C.]

This recipe is so simple and wonderful! My family loved it. We are crab snobs from Maryland as well. I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[Susan R.]

Way too much liquid in relationship to the crabmeat.Nice taste but next time will halve the liquids.

 

[Theresa R.]

The award was likely sponsored by the dairy farmers of America. Way too much dairy fluid and perhaps a mistake was made in the amounts since the 1/2 and 1/2 was a quart and the heavy cream was 2 pints which are the same amount. Recommend starting with butter and sauteed minced onion. Eliminate the whole milk and half of the cream. Eliminate salt and pepper and add another teaspoon of Old Bay. Some chicken or vegetable broth is also warranted - a cup or cup and 1/2. Add a bay leaf and some mace and you have a new recipe all-together. Wondra is a fine thickener without having to mix the cornstarch.