Cream of crab soup fits right into the category of the saying, “Maryland is for Crabs”.
Ms. Charlese Smith was the Grand Prize Winner in the Soup Division for this recipe at the 53rd Annual National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield, Maryland (Eastern Shore).
Therefore, she is the person who gets credit for this wonderful homemade soup recipe!
Thank you Charlese!
Although this particular recipe is a CREAM soup recipe, you can also make my traditional, tomato based Maryland Crab Soup recipe that’s out-of-this-world delicious!
Cream of Crab Soup
Being born and raised in Maryland, I grew up a seafood lover, enjoying specifically Maryland blue crabs straight from the Chesapeake Bay.
I remember the days of my Dad getting a bushel of crabs and the family gathered around the table hammering and picking all night long.
As a result, it’s a ritual that I fondly remember, but also one that we don’t do nearly as often as we used to.
Because I love any recipe involving crabs, when I saw this recipe for Grand Prize Maryland Cream of Crab Soup, I jumped on it.
Not gonna lie though, when I went to the store to get the crab meat already picked and ready to use, I felt a little bit guilty.
The reason? I didn’t have to spend hours picking the crabs.
However, not having to work for that crab meat definitely has an appeal to it!
History Behind Grand Prize Maryland Cream of Crab Soup
So, I found this recipe on Pinterest and clicked on the link to a site called Just A Pinch.
Being that this recipe is a Maryland recipe and that it won the Grand Prize in an annual National Hard Crab Derby, held in Crisfield, Md, known as the ‘Seafood Capital of the World’, I had to make it!
See, we Marylanders have a lot of pride in our state.
For instance, we are super proud of our Maryland State Flag.
So much so, that we wear it on our clothes as much as we can!
But, I digress.
Back to the recipe.
Items You’ll Need To Make This Cream of Crab Soup
- A Good Stockpot – This Cuisinart 6 quart Stockpot with Lid (Amazon) is the perfect choice for making cream of crab soup.
- Soup Mixing Spoon – I really like the OXO Brushed Stainless Spoon (Amazon). It’s a good quality mixing spoon.
- Soup Bowls – I have 2 recommendations: My go-to soup bowls are the thick mug style bowls with handles (Amazon). They’re great for when you want to cozy up on the couch while eating your soup. The handle doesn’t get hot so you can hold it with one hand. I also love this Porcelain Fluted Bowl Set (Amazon). I have a set for my family and bought a set for my nephew who’s living off-campus at Clemson University. They’re a nice big size and come in bright, cheery colors.
- Soup Spoons – This soup is too good to use regular ole spoons. You need some good soup spoons. This Set of 8 Stainless Steel Soup Spoons (Amazon) are worthy of this recipe.
Cream of Crab Soup Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this Cream of Crab Soup:
- Whole Milk
- Half & Half
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Cornstarch
- Cold water
- Jumbo Lump, Fresh Crab Meat
- Fresh Parsley
- Old Bay Seasoning – or a sufficient substitute like these 8 seasonings also made in Maryland.
- Butter
- Salt
- Black Pepper
Step-By-Step Instructions for Making Maryland Cream of Crab Soup
Step 1: Boil Milk, Half & Half, & Heavy Cream Over Medium-High Heat
In a large pot, bring your milk, half & half and heavy cream to a boil.
While doing this, begin your next step of creating your slurry mix.
Step 2: Make Paste or Slurry in Separate Bowl & Add to Soup
This is a very important step for a nice, thick creamy soup consistency.
In a SEPARATE BOWL combine the cornstarch with COLD water.
In this case, the general rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of COLD water mixed with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per cup of soup.
So for this recipe (it makes six 1-cup servings), start with 4 tablespoons of cold water and 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.
You can always add more as you gauge the creaminess of your soup.
Be sure to WHISK WELL!
You can use one of the following tools to FULLY blended your paste (all from Amazon):
- A mini whisk
- Battery operated frother
- Immersion Blender
- OR shake aggressively in a jar with a lid
Step 3: Add Paste to Soup and Bring Back to Boil for 1 Minute
Stir your soup constantly while it is boiling.
If the soup seems too thin, make more paste with 1 T. corn starch & 1 T. cold water.
Mix that into the soup and heat through again, mixing constantly.
Then, continue to add 1 tablespoon cornstarch/1 tablespoon cold water paste until your soup gets to your preferred thickness.
Step 4: Gently Add Crab Meat to Soup
You don’t want to break up your fresh lump crab meat too much while adding it into your soup.
So, blend it in well but do it gently.
Step 5: Add Parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, Butter, Salt & Pepper
Once you’ve added these final ingredients (you can melt butter beforehand to speed up this step), stir and heat through over medium heat.
If you prefer more crab meat, add that now, along with additional Old Bay (1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning at a time) to your taste.
Now remove from heat and serve.
For a nice presentation, add a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top of each bowl of soup.
Indeed, this really is an amazing creamy crab soup recipe!
In particular, after making this recipe for a 2nd time, I’ve decided that using a combo of crab claw meat and jumbo lump crab meat makes it nice and chunky with a wonderfully creamy base.
Substitutions and Additions To This Recipe
Although I prefer this recipe just the way it is, some people have different tastes and substitute or add the following ingredients:
- Seafood Stock, Fish Stock, Chicken Broth, or Vegetable Broth
- Celery Salt
- Olive Oil
- Clam Juice
- Bay Leaf or Bay Leaves
- Dry Sherry or White Wine Vinegar
- Lemon Juice
- Substitute another seafood seasoning for Old Bay Seasoning
- Use 1/4 cup flour in place of 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- To cut back on salt, use unsalted butter
Toppings To Add To Your Soup
Toppings you can add are:
- Chopped Green Onion or Spring Onion
- Soup & Oyster Crackers
- Ritz crackers
- A dusting of Old Bay Seasoning
Storing Cream of Crab Soup
For any leftovers, allow your soup to cool to room temperature.
Then, add it to an airtight container with a tight lid and place it in the refrigerator.
Your soup will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days.
Grand Prize Maryland Cream of Crab Soup Reviews
Similarly, like me, my husband grew up eating crabs all of his life too.
With this in mind, he was the true test as to whether or not I will be making this recipe again.
If soup all over his goatee is any indicator, that would be a resounding yes!
Next time we’ll both be wearing our Old Bay t-shirts (Amazon) whenever I make this soup or we dive into a bushel of Maryland crabs!
Maryland’s Grand Prize Cream of Crab Soup Printable Recipe
Maryland’s Grand Prize Cream of Crab Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 1 quart Half & half
- 2 pints Heavy whipping cream (1 quart)
- 4 tbsp Cornstarch
- 4 tbsp Cold water
- 1 to 2 lbs Maryland jumbo lump crab meat, Tip: Use crab claw meat to make it chunkier
- 1 tbsp Fresh parsley
- 3 tsp Old Bay Seasoning, Use more based on your taste preferences
- ¼ cup Butter
- ½ tsp Salt
- ⅛ tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Bring milk, half & half, and heavy whipping cream to a boil.
- When it starts to boil, make a paste (or slurry) in a SEPARATE BOWL with the cornstarch and COLD water. The general rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of COLD water mixed with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch per cup of soup. Be sure to WHISK WELL (use a mini whisk, battery operated frother, or shake aggressively in a jar with a lid) until the paste is FULLY blended.
- Add the paste to the soup and bring back to a boil for 1 minute, mixing constantly.
- If the soup seems too thin, make more paste with 1 T. corn starch & 1 T. cold water. Mix into the soup and heat through again, mixing constantly.
- Keep adding the 1 tablespoon cornstarch/1 tablespoon cold water paste until your soup gets to the preferred thickness.
- THEN add your crab meat.
- Adding crab meat after the cornstarch paste is so that you don't break up the delicate chunks of crab while whisking the cornstarch.
- Add fresh parsley, Old Bay Seasoning, butter, salt and pepper and heat through.
- Add extra crab meat & Old Bay Seasoning based on your preferences.
- Remove from heat.
- Soup is ready to serve.
For more crab recipes, check out our posts on:
28 Crab Meat Recipes That You Don’t Have To Be A Marylander To Love
Maryland Crab Cakes With Remoulade Sauce
Maryland Deviled Eggs with Crab
Traditional Maryland Crab Imperial
And for more delicious soup recipes, you must try:
- South Mountain Creamery Ice Cream Shop & Pizza - September 1, 2023
- Where to Find the Best Orange Crushes in Maryland - July 26, 2023
- Camping Packing List for Families - July 26, 2023
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