📝 About This Recipe
A true Chesapeake Bay classic, this hearty tomato-based soup is a vibrant celebration of Maryland's coastal heritage. Brimming with sweet blue crab meat, a garden's worth of tender vegetables, and the unmistakable kick of Old Bay seasoning, it offers a perfect balance of savory, spicy, and sweet notes. This soul-warming bowl captures the essence of a Mid-Atlantic summer and is a must-have for any seafood lover seeking authentic harbor-side flavors.
🥗 Ingredients
The Broth Base
- 6 cups Beef Stock (high quality, low sodium preferred)
- 28 ounces Crushed Tomatoes (canned, with juices)
- 2-3 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning (adjust based on spice preference)
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 1 large Yellow Onion (finely diced)
- 2 stalks Celery (sliced into thin half-moons)
- 2 medium Carrots (peeled and diced)
- 2 medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1 cup Frozen Lima Beans (or fresh if available)
- 1 cup Frozen Sweet Corn (or kernels cut from 2 ears)
- 1 cup Green Beans (trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces)
The Seafood
- 1 pound Lump Crab Meat (fresh Maryland Blue Crab preferred; picked for shells)
- 2 tablespoons Butter (unsalted)
👨🍳 Instructions
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1
In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat until foaming.
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2
Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 6-8 minutes until the onions are translucent and the vegetables have softened slightly.
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3
Stir in the Old Bay seasoning and cook for 1 minute, allowing the spices to bloom and become fragrant in the butter.
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4
Pour in the beef stock, crushed tomatoes (with their juice), and the Worcestershire sauce. Stir well to combine.
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5
Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low to maintain a steady simmer.
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6
Add the cubed potatoes and green beans to the pot. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
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7
Stir in the frozen lima beans and sweet corn. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
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8
While the soup simmers, gently pick through your crab meat to ensure no shell fragments remain, being careful not to break up the beautiful lumps.
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9
Gently fold the crab meat into the soup. Do not over-stir; you want to keep those large, succulent chunks of crab intact.
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10
Simmer for a final 5 minutes just to heat the crab through. Taste the broth and add more Old Bay or a pinch of salt if desired.
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11
Ladle the hot soup into deep bowls, ensuring every serving gets a generous portion of crab and vegetables.
💡 Chef's Tips
Always use beef stock rather than seafood stock for an authentic Maryland flavor profile; the richness of the beef balances the acidity of the tomatoes. If you can find 'claw meat' in addition to lump meat, use a mix—the claw meat has a deeper, sweeter flavor that permeates the broth. Avoid over-stirring the soup once the crab is added to keep the lumps from disintegrating. For the best flavor, make the soup a day in advance; the spices and crab flavors deepen significantly after overnight refrigeration. If the soup becomes too thick, splash in a little extra stock or water to reach your desired consistency.
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
Serve with a side of warm, buttery Maryland beaten biscuits or crusty sourdough bread for dipping. A crisp, cold pilsner or a dry Riesling pairs beautifully with the spicy kick of the Old Bay. Provide extra Old Bay on the table for those who want to dial up the heat. A simple side salad with a light lemon vinaigrette offers a refreshing contrast to the hearty soup. For a truly coastal experience, serve alongside a few steamed hard-shell crabs.