Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup
Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup brings together sweet blue crab, briny lump crabmeat, and a ham bone broth for a deeply seasoned, coastal flavor. Old Bay lifts the hearty mix of tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, and vegetables, while barley adds body for a satisfying bite. Serve this on a cool evening or at a backyard gathering when you want a comforting, Chesapeake-inspired bowl.
- Prep30 mins
- Cook3 hrs 55 mins
- Serves12
- DifficultyHard
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 50 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 37 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 93 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 38
- Heart Health
- 60
- Metabolic
- 57
- Digestive
- 39
- Inflammatory
- 66
- Performance
- 57
- General Wellness
- 1
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
- 2
Place ham bone, barley, salt, and pepper in a large stockpot with 4 cups water. Simmer over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes.
- 3
Add cabbage and tomatoes and continue simmering for 15 more minutes.
- 4
Stir in potatoes and carrots; simmer until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes.
- 5
Stir in 1 cup water, corn, green beans, lima beans, and peas; simmer for 20 minutes.
- 6
While the soup simmers, clean the crabs by opening them and discarding the lungs and mouth. Remove the yellowish-brown tomalley (fat) and set it aside.
- 7
Break the crabs in half and add them to the soup along with seafood seasoning. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 8
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate; reserve the grease in the skillet.
- 9
Cook and stir the reserved tomalley in the bacon grease over low heat until the mixture becomes gravy-like.
- 10
Stir the cooked tomalley into the soup with the remaining 1 cup water. Continue simmering for 45 minutes, then add lump crabmeat and season with additional salt, pepper, and seafood seasoning if needed.
- 11
Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low until ready to serve.
- Calories 1159.21 kcal High 58%
- Protein 171.24 g Good Source 342%
- Carbohydrate 48.53 g 18%
- Total Fat 32.21 g High 41%
- Saturated Fat 9.47 g High 47%
- Trans Fat 0.29 g High --
- Cholesterol 798.07 mg High 266%
- Sodium 9678.38 mg High 421%
- Dietary Fiber 11.66 g Good Source 42%
- Total Sugars 18.07 g --
- Added Sugars 3.35 g Moderate 7%
- Calcium 244.26 mg Moderate 19%
- Iron 15.59 mg Good Source 87%
- Potassium 2332.99 mg Good Source 50%
- Vitamin A 136.85 mcg Moderate 15%
- Vitamin C 43.28 mg Good Source 48%
- Vitamin D 0.0 mcg Low Source 0%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Shellfish 🦐
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Corn 🌽
- Tomatoes 🍅
About This Recipe
Classic Baltimore Style Crab Soup is an American dinner recipe made with 17 ingredients. It takes about 4 hrs 25 mins, serves 12, and is rated hard. Key ingredients include Bacon, Barley, Black Pepper, and Bone In Ham. Each serving provides about 1159.21 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup?
- It is an American soup recipe made with 17 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch or soup.
- What is Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup made of?
- The main ingredients are Bacon, Barley, Black Pepper, Bone-In Ham, Carrot. The full list of 17 is above.
- What goes well with Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup?
- Explore these American side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup?
- About 4 hrs 25 mins in total: 30 mins to prepare and 3 hrs 55 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 1159.21 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup easy to make?
- This recipe is rated hard, with 17 ingredients and 11 steps.
- Is Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup healthy?
- Classic Baltimore-Style Crab Soup has an easyChef Pro health score of 57/100. Per serving, it provides 1159.21 calories and 171.24 g of protein, or 342% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber, iron, potassium and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 9678.38 mg (421% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 9.47 g (47% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 3.35 g (7% of the Daily Value). It contains Shellfish, Wheat, Gluten, Corn and Tomatoes, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
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