Maryland Crab Soup

Since I was a child, Maryland crab soup has been one of my favorite soups to eat.   They would have it every so often at the local grocery store in the hot soup bar and I would check for it every time I was there.  The spicy seafood taste was like nothing else I'd ever had and I fell in love with it.  A couple years ago I was craving this soup- I couldn't find it anywhere the way I remembered it in my Maryland grocery store.  So, I decided to make it on my own and realized that it's really not that hard to do.  I don't know if it's really an "authentic" Maryland crab soup recipe, but that's what I'm calling it.  Last night I cooked up a large batch for a warm winter dinner.  It is delicious and healthy, great as a meal on it's own or along side a sandwich.  If you are serving it for dinner, I recommend cheddar biscuits as a side dish.

Ingredients: (Makes 8 large servings)

4 cups seafood stock

4 cups chicken or beef stock

2 cups water

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup hot sauce

2 t sugar

2 carrots, diced (about a cup)

1 large or two small onions, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1/3 lb green beans, sliced into 1 inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 28 oz can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup frozen lima beans

2 T Old Bay seasoning

2 bay leaves

2 t salt

1 t black pepper

3 red potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes

1 lb fresh crab meat

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 

Directions:

Combine the stock, water, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and sugar in a large soup pot and bring to a boil.  Meanwhile, chop up all of your veggies.  Once they are all chopped, add them to the pot along with the can of tomatoes, corn, lima beans, bay leaves, and Old Bay seasoning. (excluding potatoes)

Stir to combine and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes.  Next, add the potatoes and bring back to a simmer.  Cover and let it cook for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender.  Add the crab meat to the pot.

Cook for about 10-15 minutes longer.  By now, the smell will be amazing!  Taste for salt and pepper, or more hot sauce.  Garnish with the fresh parsley.  Serve hot with cheddar biscuits on the side.