This soup is a staple for all of us living on the South Carolina coast.  Here is my take on the soup that I think is outstanding!  Enjoy!

South Carolina She-Crab Soup

butter

all-purpose flour

white onion, grated

celery,

garlic,

salt and pepper

half-and-half cream

heavy cream

chicken broth

hot pepper sauce

Worcestershire sauce

dill

crabmeat

chives

sherry wine

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir in flour to make a smooth paste, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in the onion, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook and stir for about 4 minutes.


Gradually whisk in the half and half cream so that no lumps form. Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer, and pour in half of the sherry. Season with dill, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes, until soup has reduced by 1/3. Add crabmeat, and simmer for another 10 minutes.


Ladle soup into bowls, and top off with a splash of the remaining sherry and a sprinkle of fresh chives.


I live in Virginia and they serve a She-Crab soup here in the restraunts and this recipe is very close to the ones I have had, but I did add the old bay seasoning and served it with buttered french bread.

I picked up 2 live crabs along with all the rest of the ingredients and was serving this along with Shrimp Creole for a Fat Tuesday celebration.  I took the shrimp shells, left over onion after grating it, piece of celery, water and cooked the crabs resulting in a nice seafood broth which I used instead of chicken stock. The crabs turned out to be girls so I took their eggs, mashed them up and added them to the soup for more flavor and saved a pinch to serve on top as a garnish.  RAVE reviews from my dinner guests.  Will definately make this again!

I really liked this recipe.  Just what I was looking for.  Used Old Bay, added some fresh squeezed lemon, and it was perfect for New Years Eve dinner.  Will use this recipe again, and again...

I just made this soup tonight for the first time. I have to say that this is THE BEST soup that I've ever made and eaten. I did however make several additions to the soup to kick it up a notch.

Instead of 5 tablespoons of butter &amp; flour I added 8 tablespoons, I used fish stock instead of the chicken broth (HIGHLY recommend), didn't use the hot pepper sauce, used 1.5 pounds of crabmeat, and added a VAST amount of Old Bay, salt, &amp; pepper for flavor.

This recipe, along with my additions, is well worth the money you will spend to make this soup. Hands down the best soup I've ever eaten &amp; I will definitely make this again. It takes me back to the she-crab soup that I enjoyed at The Salty Dog in Hilton Head, SC.

I HIGHLY suggest this recipe &amp; use the additions that I did. You will not be disappointed!!

Really great recipe we did modify it some based on other reviews.  We substituted Seafood Stock for the Chicken Broth and added 1 Tablespoon of Old Bay. We also increased the crab to 2 pounds (we like a lot of crab!)  It tasted just like the soup we get at our favorite restaurant in Virginia Beach!

Nice recipe.  It should be labeled as Crab bisques as there is not "She Crab" in it.

This was very good, but I felt it needed more seasonings. I added Old Bay, black pepper and paprika right in the roux. A bit of sherry gave it a nice flavor too. All in all, a very nice recipe. Thanks!

This recipe is a perfect tribute to lowcountry fare at its very best.

Love this recipe since I am missing the she-crab soup from my fav restaurants in Virginia Beach, tastes just like them! I always add old bay though.

Oh my gosh!  EXCELLENT soup with wonderful flavor.  I thought it had better flavor and consistency than any I've had in restaurants.   I used Red Rock Crab which seemed perfect for this recipe.  The only think I changed was I added about a Tablespoon of Paprika.  Thanks for sharing this recipe.  It's a keeper!

I followed this recipe very closely but with a couple of variations and it was awesome.  Since this was my first time making this I halved every ingredient except for the butter/flour (roux) and the crab meat.  Instead of adding the celery/onion to the roux I sauteed the veggies in half of the butter for a few minutes until they were soft (seasoned with a few pinches of salt/pepper) then added the rest of the butter and the flour to make a roux. From there I followed the instructions almost exactly but added 1.25 tsp of old bay seasoning towards the end.  This was my first time making this soup and it was delicious.

Very good but we thought it was bland as written.  Ended up adding in Old Bay seasoning and that really helped.  The whole family enjoyed.  Thanks

This is a good recipe, but could cut the milk in half or add more crab.  She crab is delicious as a thick stew.

This was very good.  High altitude users reduce liquid by 1/3 cup.

First, there is nothing "She Crab" about this; where is the roe?  Yet, I made it, as written, anyway.  Second, there is FAR too much liquid for the amount of roux made,  not enough spice, not enough crab for the volume, simmering time is way too short as written.  To those of you who have asked about the color, Old Bay is what gives it the color, it isn't in the original recipe. To make this edible,  I let it simmer for 90+ minutes (Keep stirring, eventually, it did thicken up,)  and added 1+ T  of Old Bay,  2 t hot sauce, and 1+ T Worcestershire; helped to some degree. Reducing  1/2&amp;1/2 by 50% will save you a lot of time.

Boy I gurontee this is sum good Im from Ladson South Carolina I have had sum good crab soup but this one is great wouldnt change a thing except for my hot sauce yummy

I used Canned Crab, never again as it had little bits of shell in the soup. but the flavor was great

This was just ok for me.  Even though I added a lot of Old Bay I still found this to be very bland.  Probably will not make again since I do not think it is worth the price of the crab.

A friend and I made this recipe &amp; followed it precisely. It was thin, not bisque like. I saw no comments on this in other reviews. I am from &amp; live in SC and all She Crab soups we get are thick. Will not make this recipe again.

It was great with Pander07's modifications and a few of my own. I hate to say it but my version was much better than some of the stuff I was served in Charleston.

This turned out soooo excellent!  Though I ended up using "fake" crab as I just could not get my hands on any she-crab, it turned out really good. Nearly as good as the one served to me in South Carolina a couple of years ago.

The directions were simple to follow. My she crab soup came out great! Recommendation: Use real crab meat. Imitation is ok, but the real thing is so delicious!

I made a half portion which is plenty (with leftovers) for 2.  I added more sherry and salt than the recipe calls for.  And I didn't grate the onion and celery.  I like the texture that dicing the veg brings to the soup.

It was okay. It would have been better without the celery though.

Good, but I agree that it needed more seasonings. This recipe calls for ALOT of cream and that might have something to do with it. I added extra sherry, and it came out ok but not exactly how I expected. I couldn't give it any color.

Good recipe. I added Old Bay at the end because I felt it needed a bit extra spice but it was fine without too.

This was a good base, but really it was bland without adding some of my own seasoning.  I added Old Bay  and some garlic salt.  I cut down on the half and half (used 2% milk instead and some extra chicken broth.  I used 3 cans of canned crab which I drained the crab juice into the soup.  I was great with a little alteration.

I followed the recipe to a T and it was very bland. I added about 2 tablespoons of Old Bay Seasoning and 2 teaspoons of Paprika. The soup never truly thickened up. If I would make this recipe again I would add only 1 qt of half and half at first. I would then thin the soup or brisque with the remaining half and half. I also wouldn't "cover and simmer" again because by covering, the liquid doesn't leave the pot.

Delicious!!! I did make a few adjustments.  I increased butter and flour to 6 Tbs each, diced onion and celery and sauteed them in the butter before adding the flour, reduced half and half to 1 quart, increased hot pepper sauce and Worcestershire to 1 Tbs each, and added in 1 tsp paprika, 1 Tbs Old Bay, and 2 cups of cubed potatoes that had been boiled in chicken stock.  
My favorite soup EVER!!!

Authentic, authentic, authentic. This soup is awesome! I didn't have any sherry, so I used sweet vermouth instead, but followed the recipe to a tee otherwise. It tasted so good. Thanks for sharing.

Way to much half &amp; half. Lacked the orange color, less flavor than any dish I've had to date.

This is the recipe that is made in Virginia  it is the best also make it with shrimp,scallops, or mussels

Very good base of soup, it just would have been bland if I did not add a lot of old bay, lemon juice, more salt and pepper, a splash more of sherry, and changed it to seafood stock instead of chicken. I also did 2 lbs of lump crab meat and it was perfect.

We have made this multiple times. We add almost twice as much sherry wine, and more hot pepper sauce.  We also add an extra half pound of crab.  Turns out delicious.

Wonderful soup. I did not change anything in the recipe except I used dried Dill and added zatarain's crab boil and a pinch of allspice.  The next time I will add more crab meat. This would have been wonderful with a crusty artisan bread!!!

We always grab us a bowl of She-Crab soup when we visit the Myrtle and Surfside Beach area each year. This is the first time I tried to make some homemade. It turned out GREAT! I thought I was back at the beach!!! My wife said it was just like Mr. Fish's She-Crab soup. I made my own seafood broth instead of chicken. Couldn't find but crab legs here in Eastern Ky but it turned out good. I also used dried dill instead of fresh. Be sure to let it cook down as directed.

Good reviews, but note (as a couple of reviewers did), that a She-Crab soup recipe ain’t classic unless it has crab roe as an ingredient.

My family devoured it! And my husband is not a " soup" person. Definitely will make again.

Swapped out the garlic and onions for shallots. Ahmaaaaazimg. Eyeballed everything. Used a nice heavy LeCreuset pot and cooked it super low to avoid any curdling. Added loooots of dry sherry. I garnished it with Old Bay and fresh chives. I do “Grandpa’s Oyster Stew” from this site and everyone loves it, but they agreed this was even better. This recipe is a keeper

This is a fantastic base recipe...but it does need some tweaks that are essential to the final product. Way too much liquid to crab ratio. I halved the recipe and still used almost the full pound of crab. More seasoning is critical. Doubled the hot sauce (added no spice, only flavor), Old Bay is also essential. Cut down the liquid and add more seasoning and this is great!

This soup is the best that I have ever had. It’s absolutely perfect! Don’t change a thing. Just enjoy

Heaven!  Perfect!
Add more crab, another 1/2  of Sherry, and 3 dashes of Tobasco

Very rich with the amount of cream and half and half.  Yet, I had to add more seasonings such as onion powder and red pepper. Ready in 1 hour? I don't think so! Prep time was 45 minutes and I am an experienced cook.

Overall, it was just ok. Somewhat bland. If I make it again, I will fine chop the celery and onion instead of grating it. It needed more body that the vegetables could have provided.

great recipe. I added old bay.  Also added shrimp.

I added Old Bay instead of hot sauce,  seafood broth instead of chicken broth.  Not as thick as I wanted.  I will increase the butter and flour next time (and the crab) Delicious!

Add more back fin of blue crab diced or pulled after sautéing in a butter and old bay mixture in pan

I lived in Charleston, SC for many years and this soup reminds me of those fabulous years of my life. DELICIOUS!!

This soup might be that traditional Christmas Eve dinner.  Easy to make and very delicious. I added canned roasted diced tomatoes and roasted corn fresh off the cob.

I made this for the family and they loved it

Got to love these recipe sites, where the recipe ranks as #1 in a google search, partly due to the great reviews...Yet many 5 star reviews explain they used a completely different (often correct) recipe version. Why give the wrong recipe credit? It's SHE crab people. That means you need to ask the seafood counter person for FEMALE crabs with the EGG SACK attached. If it doesn't contain crab caviar it ain't "she crab" soup!  The second review prior to my post got it right by using fish stock (why would you want crab to taste like chicken) and female crabs with crab caviar.

With the addition of Old Bay Seasoning, this recipe is perfect!

Well I embellished a little. Little more sherry,  little more crab, but this recipe is a hit. Made it for a progressive dinner and it was raved about. If serving with presentation, sprinkle with old bay plus chives and for spice lovers a dab of tobasco. Awesome recipe!! Timing may be a little off but I doubled ok

I used a little less half and half and a little less heavy cream. It turned out very good.

I thought this might be similar to a she crab soup we eat at a favorite local place so decided to try it.  In spite of the seasonings and hot sauce, it is bland;  too much liquid, scant seasoning, too thin.  After adjustments (to everything), my husband pronounced it better than the restaurant's offering.  It was definitely better than this original recipe.

This is sooooo tasty!!  I added a couple of shredded carrots just because I had them and instead of 2 quarts of 1/2 N 1/2 I used a quart of vegetable stock, a quart of almond milk and a couple of cups or so of 1/2 1/2.  I tossed in a block of cream cheese instead of using the heavy cream.  Also put a few dashes of Old Bay.  I was a little heavy handed on the dill and hot sauce too.  I used the chilled canned crabmeat from the seafood department.  Excellent soup, I'm proud to serve it.  Thanks for the recipe!!

Super easy to make, and even better tasting than what we used to make in the restaurant I worked in back when I was younger.

I made this and it was fantastic!  I did add some Old Bay but otherwise very good.

I didn't see the chicken broth in the recipe - so I wondered why it was so thick - I just added more sherry and it turned out great.  I did add more hot sauce too. ( I do live in the south - thus the heat and alcohol!)

It was bland until I added old bay. once I added the old bay, it was amazing!

Added Old Bay Seasoning and extra claw meat.  Wonderful!

It may not technically be she-crab soup without crab eggs, but it is a great crab soup.  My wife, kids, and I all liked it.  I'll make it again, when I'm not concerned about the calories.

This recipe was great! I did make some adjustments based on previous reviews. I added a TON of old bay and a few extra tbs of hot sauce. Extra salt and pepper and skipped the sherry (didn't have any) we had 8 people over and every one had 2-3 bowls of it and still had left overs! It was so tasty! Even the Navy chef we had over loved it :) definitely recommend it!

Everyone loves this recipe whenever I make it.

added a little old bay. Just wish it was a bit thicker. I'm going to try upping the butter and flour to 6 tablespoons to see if that helps

Made it, loved it! I DID follow the advice of reviewers &amp; used crab stock and had to sub the sherry with a dry white wine, but  my household loved this recipe! Will make again!

"Restaurant worthy" said my husband. I've been cooking for a friend' and her husband who is dying from a lung ailment. I treat all his food requests as "last requests."  The other night he was upset because he's lost the strength to swallow. Friend said he loves "she-crab soup."  I've seen it in the best restaurants down here in Tidewater, so I used this recipe. I used more crab (2 lbs) and less half and half (1 1/2 qts) and twice the Old Bay, quite a bit of salt and pepper. Instead of chicken stock, I used clam juice. It sure is an expensive dish, but everybody loved it. Of course, the sick friend was given the smallest pieces of crab and he asked for thirds! I served it with hot corn bread.

Like many other cooks, I added about 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning and doubled the amount of crab called for.  I also added about 1.5 cups frozen corn kernels when I added the crab for a little extra heartiness.  Delicious!

We made this recipe and loved it. Very much love the she-crab soup we had in the low country and over in Savannah. We did use seafood stock instead of chicken. Used more Old Bay as well. Very delicious

south carolina she-crab soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total: 1 hours

Servings: 8

Cost: $6.96 /serving

Author : SOWEN

Ingredients

Instructions

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