This simple and delectable crab soup recipe will immediately become a family favorite the first time you serve it. The ingredients are easily assembled and shortly simmered. The sweet crab makes an irresistible and tasty light cuisine. Top this soup with a handful of garlic croutons and step out of the way.
When I was young my Italian Grandmother used to often make fish dishes with various tomato sauce toppings. She would prepare cod, halibut, clams, lobster and crab (she would usually use the whole crab or lobster in the shell).
I grew up thinking of crab like hamburger meat. Everyone knew what it was and everyone dined on it on a regular basis. But back in the sixties, that was not the case. I would take my lunch to school and I would have some crab soup or some spaghetti with crab sauce and pasta in a thermos. My friends would look at it and say “What is that stuff?” I would explain to them that it was crab they would wrinkle their noses as if to say what is crab? I, in later years, learned that crab was a delicacy and even though our family ate it regularly, not everyone was accustomed to preparing or consuming crab on an everyday basis.
So, whenever I had guests over and wanted to impress them and award myself five minutes of fame, I would make my crab soup as a first course. The people would rave. I was happy, they were happy.
Try this simple crab soup recipe and ready yourself for the accolades.
- 2 tbs butter
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup red potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 3/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 2 tbs flour
- 1/2 cup white wine (something good enough to drink)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen, any liquid removed
- 1 cup crab meat, fresh or frozen (no canned crab meat)
- 3/4 cup half and half
- 2 tb fresh chopped parsley
-
In a heavy bottomed or cast iron pot, heat butter and olive oil. Add the potatoes and onions and cook over medium heat until vegetables began to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the celery and the garlic, cook an additional minute.
-
Add the flour to the pot, stirring to coat vegetables. Stir in the wine, water and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low and simmer for 10 minutes.
-
After 10 minutes, remove soup from heat. Stir in corn, crab meat and half and half until thoroughly combined. Return to low heat until contents comes to a simmer. Ladle into warmed bowls and Top with parsley or croutons and serve. Salt to taste, if needed.
