Joy’s Maryland Style Crab Soup

I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland.  I grew up eating Maryland steamed blue crabs, crab soup, crab cakes, crab puffs, steamed shrimp and all of the wonderful Chesapeake Bay seafood specialties.  We are mostly keto in our  home.  Maryland steamed crabs are definitely one of our favorite high protein meals.  I will add a small keto coleslaw side and we have hours of fun.

We now live in Florida and crabs are not so easy to get.  But we do have a favorite chef who cooks them up for a crab feast.  We live on the water and we set up the messy meal outside under the gazebo.  But, of course they are sold by the dozen, and we never really know how big they will be.  Just like in Baltimore, we always wind up with several extra.  If I have too many, I will re-steam them in beer the next day and enjoy them again.  Or I might clean them and make crab cakes.  But if I only have 4 or 6, I will cook up a big pot of crab soup.

Since this is something I cook regularly without a recipe, I am doing my best to share my version of Maryland Crab Soup!

Joy's Maryland Style Crab Soup

As with any recipe, quality ingredients make all the difference. In this recipe I used uncured thick cut pastured bacon from a Joy Of Organics Farm. All the vegetables are 100% organic, many from on of our share packages. I used homemade beef bone broth and fresh blue crab meat.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Servings: 15

Course: Apppetizer, Main Dish

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 8 slices thick cut bacon I used pastured uncured - chopped into small pieces
• 1 large onion chopped
• 4-6 carrots chopped into bite size pieces
• 1 1/2 cup celery chopped from the top including leaves
• 2 cups fresh green beans chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 2 cups green cabbage sliced and chopped
• 2 russet potatoes scrubbed and chopped small NOTE* you can use turnips, rutabaga or eliminate for keto)
• 2 cups corn Again optional
• 3 28oz cans tomatoes whole peeled Italian style
• 4 to 6 cups good beef bone broth I used homemade
• 1/4 plus cups Old Bay Seasoning Of course to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3-4 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• Kosher sea sat and pepper to taste
• 2 lbs fresh lump blue crab meat
• 4-6 Maryland Steamed Crabs rinsed, cleaned and claws removed
• 2 cloves garlic minced

Method

 

1. In a large stock pot, place the chopped bacon and cook on high until just about half crispy and fat is rendered out.
   
2. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more until fragrant,
3. add tomatoes one at a time by squeezing in your hand along with juices until all three cans are added. Stir.
4. Ad 4 cups beef bone broth by adding to the empty tomato cans and pouring into the pot until cans are clean. Stir
5. Add green beans, cabbage, potatoes and corn, Stir. (NOTE* add more broth if needed)
6. Add bay leaf, Worcestershire Sauce, 3 tbsp. Old Bay and salt and pepper to taste.
7. Cook simmering on lo to medium until veggies are tender. Continue to taste and add more Old Bay, salt and pepper until it is to your liking.
8. While soup is simmering, rinse your cooked crabs, removing the salt and seasonings (If you don't the soup w2ill be inedible. I have made that mistake). Clean the crabs and break bodies in half. set aside in a bowl with all the claws.
9. Once the soup has simmered and you have adjusted your spices, drop in 2 lbs of fresh lump crab meat and stir...then add your crab pieces. Allow to cook for about 10 or 15 minutes more and serve. I always place one piece of shelled crab in every bowl.
10. I bake a keto cornbread to serve with the soup. Delish

Notes

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