Description
This 30 Minute One Pot Creamy Crab Soup is rich, smooth, and full of comforting seafood flavor. Sweet crab meat, tender potatoes, and aromatic vegetables come together in a creamy broth that tastes slow cooked but is ready fast. It is an easy one pot recipe that delivers restaurant quality results with minimal effort and simple ingredients.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter
Yellow onion, finely diced
Celery, thinly sliced
Fresh garlic cloves, minced
Old Bay seasoning
All purpose flour
Baby yellow potatoes, diced into bite sized pieces
Half and half
Seafood stock
Chicken broth
Bay leaves
Fresh crab meat, picked over for shells
Sherry vinegar
Kosher salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish
Fresh chives for garnish
Extra crab meat for garnish
Oyster crackers
Instructions
1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium to medium high heat until fully melted and gently bubbling
2. Add the diced onion and sliced celery with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until softened and fragrant while stirring occasionally
3. Lower the heat slightly and add the minced garlic, stirring constantly until aromatic
4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well so it coats the vegetables evenly, then cook briefly to remove the raw flour taste
5. Pour in half of the seafood stock while stirring and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any flavorful bits
6. Add the remaining seafood stock, half and half, and chicken broth, stirring until smooth and combined
7. Add the diced potatoes, Old Bay seasoning, bay leaves, and another light pinch of salt and pepper
8. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and allow it to cook until the potatoes begin to soften
9. Gently fold in most of the crab meat, reserving some for garnish
10. Continue simmering until the potatoes are fork tender and the soup has thickened slightly
11. Stir in the sherry vinegar to balance the richness and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed
12. Remove the bay leaves and serve hot with garnishes added just before serving
Notes
This soup thickens more as it cools, so keep that in mind when judging the final consistency
If the soup becomes too thick, add a small splash of broth or milk while reheating
Stir gently after adding the crab meat to keep the pieces tender and intact
Extra vegetables like corn or carrots can be added with the potatoes for more texture
Avoid boiling once dairy is added to keep the soup smooth and creamy
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: One Pot Cooking
- Cuisine: American