She Crab Soup

She crab soup is an easy one pot meal that is full of comforting southern flavors. Meaty chunks of crab meat simmered in a smooth velvety seafood broth with a hint of lemon, this hearty soup truly eats like a meal and is on the table in just 30 minutes!

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What is she crab soup?

She crab soup is a traditional comfort food recipe made in the Southern States. Popular for its rich decadent flavour and luxurious chunks of crab meat this soup is perfect for cool winter days. She crab soup is similar to a bisque except this soup is traditionally made with female crabs and their eggs, hence the name she-crab.

The richness of she crab soup comes from the buttery roux, heavy cream, and rich succulent crab meat. The flavors of this soup are perfectly balanced between the spices and succulent crab meat.

Variations to Try

• Add different seafood – Try adding some crab roe, or other shellfish like clams, mussels, shrimp, or lobster for a delicious seafood-infused take on this soup.
• Make it dairy free – Try swapping the cream for your favorite dairy free substitute.
• Add some protein – Looking for a meaty twist on this soup? Try adding some cooked chicken, bacon, or spicy sausage!
• Instead of seafood stock – Try a combination of clam juice and chicken stock instead of seafood stock.

What to serve with She Crab soup?

Serve a piping hot bowl of she-crab soup with some salty crackers or a nice piece of crusty bread and butter. Make this a part of a larger meal by pairing it with your favorite Southern comfort foods.

Tips for making She Crab Soup

• Save a portion of the crab meat to top each bowl at the end. This keeps the lumps of crab meat intact and helps make sure everyone gets a hefty portion of crab meat in their soup.
• When using fresh crab make sure you pick through the meat carefully to remove any cartilage and sharp crab shells before adding to the soup.
• Temper the cream with some hot seafood stock before pouring it into the pot. This keeps the cream from breaking and curdling when you add it to the soup.
• Keep any veggies added to the soup small so they become nice and tender while the soup cooks.
• Allow the soup to simmer before serving. Simmering not only tenderizes the ingredients, it allows all the flavors to meld together which will make your soup extra delicious.
• This recipe is easy to scale and making a double batch is a perfect meal prep.

Best way to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If possible store the extra crab meat separately and add it to each bowl after reheating.

To reheat, place the soup in a pot over medium-low heat and warm gently, adding extra cream or stock if necessary.

Make ahead instructions – If you are making a large batch ahead of time. Keep the crab meat separate and add after reheating. Allow the soup to cool completely before storage and place in airtight containers in the fridge.

Freezing instructions – Due to the creamy broth in this soup it is not recommended to freeze.

She Crab Soup

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 bowls

A creamy full bodied soup full of delicious crab meat. This southern comfort food is easy to make and full of flavour. A delicious one pot meal ready in just 30 minutes!

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Ingredients 

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup onion minced
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 cups seafood stock
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ tsp worcestershire
• ½ tsp lemon zest
• ½ tsp mace, or nutmeg
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1-½ tsp salt divided
• 1 lb lump crab meat, divided
• ¼ cup dry sherry

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Instructions

• Melt butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted add the minced onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until softened.
  
• Add flour to the pot and combine with the butter to form a roux.
  
• Add the seafood stock to the pot and stir to combine with the roux. Reduce the heat and bring to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened.
  
• In a small bowl combine the heavy cream with a few tablespoons of the hot seafood stock mixture and stir to combine. Tempering will prevent the cream from breaking once added to the pot. Add the tempered cream to the pot and increase the heat to medium low until the cream is heated through.
  
• Reduce the heat to low and add the worcestershire, lemon zest, mace, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne pepper, 1 tsp salt and ½ of the lump crab meat. Simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  
• In a small bowl combine the remaining crab meat, salt, and sherry. Use this mixture as a topping for each bowl of soup before serving.