Description
This crab soup recipe mirrors the traditional crab soups made by Baltimore women over the last 50 years. It is a milder-flavored, lighter-colored soup than the ones typically served in modern seafood restaurants. Homemade crab soup is a staple at most Maryland cookouts and family gatherings. Serve with crackers.
Ingredients
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1 ham bone
- ⅔ cup barley
- 2 tablespoons salt, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons ground black pepper, or more to taste
- 4 cups water
- 1 small head cabbage, shredded
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup water
- 3 (15 ounce) cans white corn, drained
- 1 pound green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen lima beans
- 1 (6 ounce) package frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons seafood seasoning (such as
- ®), or more to taste
- 4 female blue crabs
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 cup water
- 2 (6 ounce) cans lump crabmeat, drained
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the carrots
- and cook uncovered until tender
- about 5 minutes. Drain well
- and set aside.
- Place the ham bone
- barley
- salt
- and pepper in large stock pot with 4 cups of water. Simmer over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Add cabbage and tomatoes; continue simmering for 15 more minutes. Stir in the potatoes and carrots. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork
- 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of water
- corn
- green beans
- lima beans
- and peas. Simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the soup is simmering
- clean the crabs by opening it and discarding the lungs and mouth. Remove the yellowish-brown tomalley and set aside. Break the crabs in half and add to the soup along with the seafood seasoning. Simmer for 20 minutes
- stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile
- place the bacon in a large
- deep skillet
- and cook over medium-high heat
- turning occasionally
- until evenly browned
- about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Cook and stir the reserved tomalley in the remaining bacon grease over low heat until the mixture becomes gravy-like. Stir the cooked tomalley into the soup with 1 more cup of water. Continue simmering for 45 minutes
- then add the lump crabmeat. Season with additional salt
- pepper
- and seafood seasoning
- if necessary. Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes
- stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low
- until ready to serve.
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 4 hrs
Total Time: 4 hrs 25 mins
Servings: 12