This Traditional Maryland Crab Soup is a copycat recipe from the iconic Phillips Seafood Restaurant! This tomato-based soup is packed with vegetables and spiced with Old Bay for an easy recipe that all seafood lovers will enjoy!
Growing up in Maryland and now living in Delaware, fresh crabs are reminiscent of summer. My family loves crabbing on the eastern shore and steaming the crabs ourselves. Anytime that we have leftover crab meat, I make this Maryland Crab Soup. This recipe was inspired by the Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup from Phillips Seafood in Baltimore, Maryland.
Love Old Bay seasoning as much as I do? Try these Crispy Honey Old Bay Wings. These wings are oven-baked with a sweet and salty twist that is perfect for game day! Or, try this Honey Butter Old Bay Salmon. This sheet-pan dinner comes together quickly for an easy weeknight dinner. Or, serve this Sweet and Salty Old Bay Chex Mix for a snack that is so addicting, you should double the recipe!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Packed with flavor! This crab soup has sweet flavors from the tender blue crab meat, savory tomato, and zesty Old Bay spice.
- Full of tradition. This traditional crab soup is a Maryland comfort food staple. It is satisfying and hearty. This recipe has been in my family for years and has been tweaked to perfection.
- Enjoy all year long! Fresh or frozen crab meat can be used in this recipe. This soup also freezes well, so you can enjoy crab soup even in the colder months.
- Quick and easy! This soup can be made with a total time of 40 minutes!
Ingredients
While the ingredient list may look lengthy, most of the ingredients are pantry staples or can be substituted.
- White onion, garlic cloves, and celery are sautéed until soft in butter.
- Chicken broth, a chicken bouillon cube dissolved in water, tomato paste, and pizza sauce make the liquid base of the soup.
- Frozen soup vegetables, chopped tomatoes, fresh corn, and chopped potatoes give the soup heartiness and flavor.
- Old Bay Seasoning and fresh crab meat give the soup an authentic and unique seafood flavor.
Substitutions
- In place of butter, sauté onion and celery in olive oil.
- Shallots can be used in place of the white onion and/or garlic.
- Garlic powder can be used in place of the garlic cloves.
- Vegetable broth can be used in place of the chicken broth.
- In place of frozen soup vegetables, use fresh vegetables that you have on hand. Lima beans, extra corn kernels, or chopped fresh green beans would taste delicious.
- Chopped tomatoes and fresh corn can be substituted with canned vegetables.
- J.O. Crab Seasoning can be used in place of Old Bay seasoning. However, this seasoning is saltier than Old Bay so use less.
- Frozen crab meat can be found in the seafood department of most grocery stores to replace fresh lump crab meat. You can also purchase Phillips Crab Meat!
Variations
- As written, this recipe is gluten-free.
- To make this recipe vegetarian and vegan, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit the chicken bouillon cube.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the chopped white onion and chopped celery. Sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add the chicken broth and the chicken bouillon cube dissolved in water.
Step 3: Stir in the frozen soup vegetables, chopped tomatoes, corn kernels, chopped potatoes, tomato paste, pizza sauce, and Old Bay seasoning. Turn the heat to high and bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, put a lid on top of the pot and turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Step 4: Remove the pot from the heat. Gently stir in the crab meat. Serve soup hot!
Equipment
- Large Soup Pot or Stock Pot
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Soup Ladle
Storage
Once cooled to room temperature, store leftover crab soup refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 doors. Or, freeze leftover crab soup in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Enjoy within 2-3 months for the best quality.
Top tip
For extra flavor, throw in leftover crab legs! Not only will you get the seasoning flavor, but you can also enjoy the crab claw meat.
FAQ
Old Bay is a traditional Maryland seasoning made by McCormick. Their website lists the ingredients as celery salt, paprika, and spices, including black pepper and red pepper. The other spices are a secret. Old Bay is traditionally used on seafood, including crabs and steamed shrimp, but is delicious on many other things, including Bloody Marys, chicken wings, and dips.
Make this crab soup a complete meal by serving it with a grilled cheese, crusty bread, or a simple side salad.
Garnish the crab soup with fresh parsley, lemon wedges, and oyster crackers.
Traditional Maryland Crab Soup is made with lump, backfin, and claw crab meat. Frozen crab meat can be used as well as imitation crab meat, however, the flavor may not taste the same when using imitation crab meat.
To keep the crab meat from becoming tough or rubbery, stir the crab meat into the soup at the end of cooking and heat until the meat is just warm.
Yes, you can make this soup ahead of time! This soup has more flavor after a day in the refrigerator. If you are meal prepping this soup, stir the crab meat in when you are reheating the soup to prevent the meat from overcooking.
Related
Looking for similar recipes? Try one of these:
Pairing
These are my favorite recipes to pair with Maryland Crab Soup:
📖 Recipe
Traditional Maryland Crab Soup (Phillips Copycat Recipe)
Equipment
- Stock Pot or Large Soup Pot
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Soup Ladle
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 1 White Onion Chopped
- 2 Celery Stalks Chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 64 ounces Chicken Broth
- 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube dissolved in 8 Oz water
- 14 ounces Frozen Soup Vegetables
- 1 cup Tomatoes Chopped
- 1 cup Corn (fresh off the cob or frozen)
- 2 Potatoes Chopped
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 15 ounces Pizza Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 pound Lump Crab Meat (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat.
- Add onions and celery and sauté until soft.
- Add garlic. Stir continuously for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.
- Add chicken broth and chicken bouillon cube dissolved in water.
- Mix in frozen mixed vegetables, tomatoes, corn, potatoes, tomato paste, pizza sauce and old bay seasoning. Turn heat to high to bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Let soup simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in crab meat.
- Serve hot!
Leave a Reply