Maryland Crab Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
• 6 whole blue crabs, cleaned and halved, optional
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 4 cups beef broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 carrots, sliced into coins
• 1 1/2 cups green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1 cup frozen baby lima beans
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt to taste

Before you cook

• Pick through the crabmeat and remove any shell or cartilage without breaking the lumps.
• Dice the onion, celery and potatoes and slice the carrots.
• Trim the green beans and cut them into 1-inch pieces.

Steps

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and celery and cook for 8 minutes, until soft.
3. Pour in the beef broth and water and add the crushed tomatoes.
4. Stir in the Old Bay, Worcestershire, bay leaves and black pepper.
5. Bring the pot to a simmer and add the blue crabs if you are using them.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes so the crabs give up their flavor to the broth.
7. Add the potatoes and carrots and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Add the green beans, corn and lima beans and cook for 10 minutes more.
9. Test the potatoes with a knife and keep cooking until they slide off the blade.
10. Stir in the peas and cook for 3 minutes.
11. Fold in the lump crabmeat and heat it through for 2 minutes without stirring hard.
12. Taste the soup and add salt and more Old Bay if it needs sharpening.
13. Remove the bay leaves and ladle into bowls with saltines alongside.