Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Charleston She Crab Soup with a drizzle of olive oil and paprika and a small mound of crab meat.
Print Recipe

She Crab Soup

Classic Charleston she crab soup, rich with lump crab meat, cream, and dry sherry, seasoned the traditional way with mace and white pepper.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Southern American
Keyword: birria soup, Charleston, crab, seafood, she crab soup, sherry
Servings: 6
Calories: 439kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups seafood stock or 1 cup clam juice + 1 cup chicken stock
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning optional
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 pound lump crabmeat picked over, divided
  • 2 tablespoons crab roe or 2 hard boiled egg yolks, crumbled
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry divided
  • Salt to taste
  • FOR SERVING: Chopped chives paprika, olive oil drizzle, extra dry sherry

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Whisk in the flour and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Don't let it brown.
  • Whisk in the seafood stock a splash at a time until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, until it thickens.
  • Reduce the heat to low. Whisk in the milk and heavy cream, then add the mace, white pepper, cayenne, Old Bay if using, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon zest. Simmer gently 15 minutes, whisking often. Do not boil.
  • Stir in the crab roe, half of the crabmeat, and 2 tablespoons of the sherry. Heat through, about 3 minutes. Salt to taste.
  • In a small bowl, toss the remaining crabmeat with the remaining 2 tablespoons sherry and a pinch of salt.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and top each with a spoonful of the sherried crab. Garnish with chives, a dusting of paprika, and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with extra sherry on the side.

Notes

  • Old Bay is optional. Traditional Lowcountry she crab soup is typically seasoned with mace, white pepper, and cayenne. Old Bay is a Chesapeake blend rather than a Lowcountry one, though plenty of home cooks include it and it tastes great. Use it if you love it. We do.
  • No mace? Substitute nutmeg at about half the amount, roughly a scant 1/8 teaspoon.
  • No crab roe? Crab roe is hard to find in most of the country. Substitute it with two crumbled hard boiled egg yolks for similar texture and flavor.
  • Do not boil. Keep the heat low once the dairy goes in. Boiling will break the soup and turn it grainy.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat gently. Freezing is not recommended.

Nutrition

Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 1023mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1358IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 1mg