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Home » Seafood

Best Cream of Crab Soup

Published: Jul 29, 2022 by Brooke · This post may contain affiliate links, which can earn us a commission.

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Are you craving seafood?  How about trying cream of crab soup for dinner tonight?  In under 45 minutes, you can be savoring a hot bowl of this delicious tempting soup.

If you love creamy soups, you'll also want to check out our New England clam chowder and our potato corn chowder soup recipes.

bowl of crab soup with toppings
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Store
  • Variations
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe
  • Comments

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Ingredients

glass bowls of ingredients for crab soup

The most of the ingredients for our cream of crab soup recipe can easily be found at your local grocery store. Let's talk about the key ingredients.

  • Flour: All-purpose flour is used to make a roux, which thickens the soup.
  • Stock: We used seafood stock that was purchased to save time, but it would taste best with homemade seafood stock. You can also substitute with clam juice mixed with vegetable stock.
  • Dairy: We used both heavy cream and whole milk in this photo shoot and butter. If you are lactose intolerant, you can substitute the butter for olive oil and the whole milk and cream for full fat coconut milk.
  • Seafood: It's best to use fresh, refrigerated, lump crab meat, but it's expensive. We used canned real lump crab meat.
  • Liquor: A small amount of sherry is added during the last 8 minutes of cooking.

How to Make

Gather all the ingredients for our cream of crab soup.  Prep all the ingredients before starting.

sauteeing veggies and adding flour
  1. Heat up the butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat, then saute the onions and celery for 5 minutes while stirring.
  2. Sprinkle on the flour over top of the onion mixture and cook for a couple of minutes while constantly whisking.
pouring seafood stock and milk into soup

3. Next, reduce the heat to medium and slowly whisk in the seafood stock for a more earthy flavor.  If you can't find it or don't have the time to make your own, use clam juice mixed with vegetable broth.

4. Pour in the milk and cream, making sure not to let it boil.

adding crab meat and sherry to the soup

5. Add the crab meat.

6. Add the sherry.

person adding spices to soup and serving it

7. Season with spices.   Stir with a wooden spoon until well combined, then heat through on medium low for 5 to 8 minutes and serve hot.

8. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, chives, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or oyster crackers.

Recipe FAQs

Can you freeze cream of crab soup?

Dairy based soups don't freeze well. When they are thawed and reheated, the texture becomes grainy and the soup becomes watery.

Instead of freezing, this cream of crab soup can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just reheat any leftover soup in a pot on medium low, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning.

What is the difference between a cream of crab and crab bisque?

Crab bisque is made with shellfish broth, thickened with rice or ground up crab shells, contains wine and cream, is generously seasoned, and is blended smooth.

Cream of crab soup is roux based, is combined with seafood stock, and is thinned with cream or milk.

What is cream of crab soup made of?

Cream of crab soup starts with sauteing onions and celery, then flour is added to make a roux. Pour in seafood stock and the cream and whole milk. Add the lump white crab meat and the sherry, spices then simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until heated through. Garnish with oyster crackers, chives, and paprika.

What do you serve with crab soup?

To round out your meal, pick a light salad, bread or a sandwich to make things more exciting. Below are some suggestions.

Salad: A tangy and bright cucumber salad with fresh dill. Bread: Bread sticks, rolls, soft pretzels, cheddar bay biscuits or a slice of crusty bread. Sandwich: Bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwich with mayo, vinegar and sriracha.

Store

  • Make Ahead: You can make the whole soup the night before. Allow it to cool and store in the fridge covered.
  • Leftovers: Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Reheat: It's best to reheat leftovers in a sauce pan over medium low heat until heated through.

Variations

  • Need this gluten free? Use your favorite gluten free flour.
  • Need this keto? Use almond flour instead of all-purpose.
  • Need this spicier? Double the hot sauce to 1 teaspoon.
  • Don't have heavy whipping cream? Use 2 cups of half and half instead.
  • Don't want to use sherry? Serve with lemon wedges instead.

Expert Tips

  • Don't be tempted to substitute heavy cream for only whole milk; the soup won't be as creamy.
  • Don't use imitation crab meat; it's actually Pollock, a finely minced fish shaped to resemble crab.
  • If you can't find seafood stock at your grocery store, use 1 cup of clam juice and 1 cup of vegetable broth, or make your own seafood stock with crab or shrimp shells.
  • Have all ingredients prepped before you start cooking.

Other Seafood Recipes You'll Love

  • New England Clam Chowder
  • Seafood Stock Recipe
  • Southern Shrimp and Grits Recipe
  • How to Peel and Devein Shrimp

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Recipe

bowl of crab soup with oyster crackers and a spoon

Best Cream of Crab Soup

The best cream of crab soup recipe is super easy and extra creamy. Forget ordering it at a restaurant—now you can make classic crab soup at home anytime.  You'll be serving this for dinner whenever the craving hits because it is really simple and fast.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin FavoriteSaved! Rate
Course: Seafood
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 381kcal
Author: Brooke & Emma

Ingredients
 

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sweet or yellow onion, diced
  • 1 ½ cups celery, finely diced (roughly 3 large stalks)
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups seafood stock
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 pound white crabmeat
  • ¼ cup sherry
  • ½ teaspoon mace
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon hot sauce
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish, optional
  • ½ cup chives cut in ½ inch lengths, for garnish
  • dash of paprika, for garnish

Equipment

  • wooden spoon
  • whisk

Instructions

  • In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter over high medium heat, then reduce heat to medium.  Saute the onion and celery until soft while stirring with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.
  • Whisk in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Slowly pour in the seafood stock, whisking continuously so the crab soup remains smooth. Add the heavy cream while whisking, then repeat with the whole milk.
  • Stir in the white crab meat, sherry, and spices. 
  • Turn the heat down to medium low to allow it to simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, then taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
  • Serve hot, and garnish each bowl with paprika, chives, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or oyster crackers.
  • To warm up leftovers, pour soup into a pot set over medium heat, stirring frequently so the bottom doesn't burn.

Notes

  • If you can't find seafood stock at your grocery store, use 1 cup of clam juice (affiliate) and 1 cup of vegetable broth or make your own with crab or shrimp shells.
  • Don't be tempted to substitute the heavy cream for whole milk; the soup won't taste as good.
  • Don't use imitation crab meat; it's actually finely minced fish.
  • Have all ingredients prepped before you start cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 381kcal (19%)Carbohydrates: 10g (3%)Protein: 22g (44%)Fat: 27g (42%)Saturated Fat: 16g (100%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 118mg (39%)Sodium: 1279mg (56%)Potassium: 447mg (13%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 1240IU (25%)Vitamin C: 11mg (13%)Calcium: 247mg (25%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

Tried this Recipe? Tag us Today!Mention @savortheflavourblog or tag #savortheflavour!

This recipe was originally published on February 14, 2020. It was updated on July 23, 2021 and July 29, 2022.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Martha G Kolodkin

    August 06, 2021 at 2:20 pm

    I haven’t made it yet but am going to soon. I am from Baltimore so I plan on using Old Bay seasoning.

    Reply
    • Emma

      August 07, 2021 at 7:47 am

      We hope you enjoy it with the Old Bay seasoning, Martha! Let us know how you like it.

      Reply
  2. Alex

    July 23, 2021 at 12:52 pm

    5 stars
    The chives on top look lovely on this creamy soup. The soup smells nice, and looks appetizing.

    Reply
    • Emma

      July 23, 2021 at 12:54 pm

      Thanks for your review, Alex!

      Reply
  3. Paulette

    January 30, 2021 at 7:22 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! That touch of Sherry is perfection. I made this with a can of Colossal Premium Picked Crab. What a treat.
    The only shame is I can’t get my phone to attach the picture I took of it.

    Reply
    • Emma

      February 01, 2021 at 6:24 am

      We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this soup to much, Paulette! It's a favorite with our family, too. Unfortunately, our comments section on our website doesn't allow visitors to upload a photo, but you can do that on Pinterest.

      Reply
  4. Beth

    October 13, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    Crab soup is a great soup. I like seafood soups and this one is scrumptious. This soup smells absolutely divine! It looks yummy with all the garnishes. This soup is creamy with a bit of a kick. Lovely!

    Reply
    • Emma

      October 13, 2019 at 3:58 pm

      Creamy seafood soups are delicious for sure!

      Reply

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Welcome to our kitchen! We're Brooke & Emma, the mother-daughter team behind Savor the Flavour. As self-taught cooks and bakers, we love to inspire you to cook from scratch with real food! Increase your kitchen confidence with our recipes, instructional photos, and helpful tips and facts.

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