She-Crab Soup Recipe
She-crab soup is a rich, creamy crab bisque that comes straight out of Charleston. This easy version cooks in one pot, and every spoonful is loaded with sweet lump crab.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: She-Crab Soup Recipe
- Serves: 8
- Main Ingredients: butter, all-purpose flour, white onion, grated, celery, grated, minced garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste, half-and-half cream, heavy cream
- Why You'll Love It: A thick, rich, and deliciously creamy bisque overloaded with succulent crab flavor, this easy she-crab soup recipe is a South Carolina classic you must try at home.
If you’ve never had she-crab soup, you’re in for a treat. It started in Charleston, South Carolina, and these days you’ll see it on restaurant menus all over the South. It’s thick and creamy like a bisque, with a little splash of sherry and big pieces of crab in every bite.
Don’t let the ingredient list scare you off. Most of it is seasoning, and it all goes in one pot. You make a quick roux with butter and flour, add your grated onion and celery, pour in the cream and broth, and let it simmer down. The crab goes in at the very end so it stays tender.
You can serve a small cup as a starter, but at our house a big bowl is supper. Add some garlic bread, biscuits, or cornbread and you’ve got a cozy meal for a chilly night.
What You’ll Need
- Butter and all-purpose flour for the roux that thickens the soup
- Onion, celery, and garlic, grated or minced small
- Half-and-half and heavy cream
- Chicken broth
- Sherry, half in the pot and half for the top
- Fresh dill, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce
- Lump crabmeat
- Fresh chives for serving
- Salt and pepper
Helpful Kitchen Tools
How to Make She-Crab Soup
Start by melting your butter in a big stockpot over medium heat.
Stir in the flour and keep stirring for about 3 minutes, until you have a smooth paste. That’s your roux.
Add the onion, celery, and garlic with a little salt and pepper.
Let that cook about 4 minutes, stirring the whole time.
Now pour in the half-and-half a little at a time…
…whisking as you go so you don’t get any lumps.
Next goes the heavy cream…
…and the chicken broth. Bring it up to a simmer.
Pour in half of the sherry. Save the rest for serving.
Stir in the dill, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.
Put the lid on and let it simmer about 30 minutes, until it cooks down by about a third.
Here’s what it should look like.
Give it a good stir…
…then add your crab.
Let it simmer 10 more minutes so the crab heats through.
Grab your ladle…
…and fill up those bowls.
Top each bowl with a little splash of the leftover sherry and some chopped chives.
Storage
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Warm them up on the stovetop.
- You can freeze the soup for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat it on the stove.
Recipe Notes
- Use real lump crabmeat here, not imitation crab. The crab is the star.
- No sherry? Use the same amount of chicken broth instead.
- Grate the onion and celery so they almost melt into the soup.
- If you like your soup really smooth, use an immersion blender before you add the crab.
- Seafood stock or crab stock works in place of the chicken broth if you can find it.
- Any hot sauce you like will work.
- Out of chives? Chopped parsley is fine on top.
Recipe FAQs
What’s the difference between crab soup and she-crab soup?
She-crab soup is traditionally made with crab roe, the orange eggs from a female crab. That’s where the “she” comes from. Roe is hard to find these days, so most folks make it without, like this recipe does.
What does she-crab soup taste like?
It’s rich and creamy like a bisque, with sweet crab, a little warmth from the hot sauce, and a hint of sherry.
What kind of crab is best?
Blue crab is the traditional choice and it’s nice and sweet. Any good lump crabmeat will work.
What do you serve with she-crab soup?
Something to dip in it! Garlic bread, biscuits, cornbread, or plain toasted bread all go great.
Can I make she-crab soup ahead of time?
Yes. Make it up to 2 days ahead, but stop before you add the crab. Keep it covered in the fridge, then warm it on the stove, stir in the crab, and simmer a few minutes before serving.
You may also like these soup recipes:
Creamy Vegetable Soup (Low-Carb Version)
Senate Bean Soup (With a Shortcut)
She-Crab Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp butter
- 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 small white onion, grated
- 1 stalk celery, grated
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup sherry wine
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
- 1 lb lump crabmeat
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives for serving
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir in the flour and keep stirring about 3 minutes, until it makes a smooth paste.5 tbsp butter, 5 tbsp all-purpose flour
- Add the grated onion, celery, and garlic with a little salt and pepper. Cook about 4 minutes, stirring the whole time.1 small white onion, grated, 1 stalk celery, grated, 2 minced garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste
- Pour in the half-and-half a little at a time, whisking as you go so no lumps form.8 cups half-and-half cream
- Stir in the heavy cream and chicken broth and bring it up to a simmer. Pour in half of the sherry and save the rest for serving.2 cups heavy cream, 1 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup sherry wine
- Stir in the dill, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce.2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp hot pepper sauce
- Cover and let it simmer about 30 minutes, until the soup cooks down by about a third.
- Add the crabmeat and simmer 10 more minutes so it heats through.1 lb lump crabmeat
- Ladle into bowls and top each one with a splash of the leftover sherry and some chopped chives.2 tbsp chopped fresh chives for serving, 1/2 cup sherry wine
Is she crab soup still as tasty without the crab roe?