Maryland Blue Crab Soup

This traditional Maryland blue crab soup combines tender lump crabmeat with a rich, slow-simmered broth loaded with vegetables and pearl barley. The overnight chilling process creates an incredibly flavorful base that makes this soup taste like a treasured family recipe passed down through generations.

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Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Soup

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 3 15

Chill Time: 12

Total Time: 15 45

Servings:

Calories: 285kcal

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Chopping Board

Chef's Knife

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large yellow onions chopped
2 large celery ribs chopped
1 large carrot chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper cored, deveined and seeded, chopped
1 large bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme crumbled
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 lb beef bone or veal knuckle bones
3 large new potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
1 cup diagonally cut green beans about 1/2 inch long
3 1/2 cups beef broth preferably homemade
3 cups water
1/3 cup pearl barley
1 1 lb can whole tomatoes, pureed with juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lb lump crabmeat
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add onions, celery, carrot and bell pepper and stir until lightly browned, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Add bay leaf, thyme, ground red pepper and pepper and stir 2 to 3 minutes.
Add bones, potatoes and beans and cook, stirring constantly 2 to 3 minutes.
Blend in broth and 2 cups water. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour.
Add barley and remaining cup water to soup; cover and simmer 2 hours.
Discard bones; stir in tomato puree and salt.
Let soup come to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours; degrease if necessary.
Discard bay leaf; stir crab and parsley into soup.
Place over low heat and warm slowly, stirring as little as possible to keep crab in large pieces. Do NOT boil or crab will be tough.
Season to taste with salt and red pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

Notes

The overnight chilling step is essential for developing deep flavors and allows easy removal of fat from the surface

Never boil the soup once crabmeat is added as this will make the crab tough and rubbery

Fresh lump crabmeat works best, but pasteurized crabmeat can be substituted if needed

Soup can be made through step 8 up to 2 days ahead; add crab and parsley when ready to serve

For extra richness, use homemade beef bone broth instead of store-bought

Pearl barley can be substituted with quick-cooking barley, but reduce cooking time accordingly

Gently pick through crabmeat to remove any shell pieces before adding to soup

Nutrition