Bay Country Crab Soup
Submitted by ismisunderstood
Maryland-style crab soup simmered with beef shin, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and a pound and a half of crab meat. A slow-cooked Chesapeake Bay classic loaded with briny sweetness and deep beefy broth.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
3 hrsREADY
3 hrsDown on the Chesapeake, crab soup means something specific: a big pot of slow-simmered broth built on beef and loaded with sweet crab meat.
This Bay Country version starts with bone-in beef shin that simmers for three hours until the broth is rich and deeply beefy.
Then in go the tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and a generous pound and a half of crab (lump and claw) that brings that briny, sweet flavor the whole Eastern Shore knows and loves.
A touch of cayenne gives it just enough heat to keep you reaching for another spoonful.
This recipe feeds ten, and you’ll need every serving.
Kitchen Tips
- The beef shin needs the full 3 hours to get fall-apart tender and build a rich, collagen-heavy broth
- Add the crab meat with the vegetables so it stays in chunks rather than shredding into the soup
- Use both lump and claw meat if you can; the lump gives pretty pieces while the claw adds the most intense crab flavor
- A splash of cider vinegar stirred in right at the table brightens each bowl, the way they do it in Maryland
Ingredients
Directions
Put first 8 ingredients in a large pan and simmer, covered, until meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
Add rest of ingredients and simmer, covered, until vegetables are done.
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