Spicy Crab and Sausage Soup

This Spicy Crab and Sausage Soup recipe is the ultimate comfort food. Loaded with sausage, crab meat and tons of veggies, it is soul warming and totally delicious.

 

Winter Sausage Soup

There is nothing better than a piping hot bowl of vegetables, sausage and crab on a Sunday evening. Football on TV, the weather just perfect for the windows open and spending time with hubby and the kids.

I’m not sure why I associate sausages soups with milder weather. Maybe it is the subtle spice that comes with it or just the heartiness of sausage.

This particular recipe is rather for giving. As long as you have three essential elements: crab, sausage and veggies, you’ll be just fine.

Seasonings make it a little on the spicy side, which I adore, but if you want it mild, omit paprika, cayenne and reduce seafood seasoning.

Around here Old Bay reigns king, but any will do and some are a little zestier than others. My advice would be to dip a finger in to taste before you decide how much to season your soup with.

If you don’t like any heat, simple add 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt instead and call it a day.

Sausage

Picking your sausage will also pick the flavor of your soup. Some are smokier, others sweet and others will amp up the spice.

Here are some of my favorites picks:

• Chorizo
• Mild Italian
• Hot Italian
• Chicken– plain or flavored
• Andouille 
• Ground pork

And then you have the choice on how to cut it. Hubby prefers his in larger pieces, so that is pictured here with a mild Italian sausage from our local butcher. It was heavy in fennel and other fresh herbs.

But you can also chop it up smaller or even use ground bulk sausage. If you do this, I recommend cooking the pork separately, draining excess fat and then adding it to the soup.

Crab

This soup uses blue crab meat. It comes in several varieties, but I find in soups that a “special” blend or backfin works just fine and it much cheaper. Unless you plan to add jumbo lump while plating, ay stirring will break apart those velvety little lumps into smaller bits anyhow.

What I do not recommends is canned or imitation crab. Snow crab legs could be a good substitute, but King crab has a distinctly different flavor not well suited for this recipe.

Vegetables

Yes, I use frozen vegetables instead of fresh and there are a lot of benefits in doing so.

1. Frozen veggies actually have more nutritional value than fresh. They are frozen soon after harvesting and therefore retain more natural vitamins and minerals.
2. Less prep because you don’t have to chop anything (other than the onion).
3. Less waste because you won’t accidentally not get to the veggies you bought, let them go bad and have to throw them away. Not speaking from experience or anything….
4. No need to worry about them not being cooked or when to add them due to size.

As long as the total volume is 4 cups, feel free to use whatever blends of colors, flavors, shapes and sizes you like.

Toppings

I used a little fresh parsley and really don’t find that this soup needs anything, but if you really need toppings, here are my suggestions:

• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Croutons
• Saltine Crackers
• Freshly ground pepper and Maldon sea salt
• Slice of crusty bread

Crab Soups

Being a Marylander, we eat Maryland Crab Soup all the time, but I came across the addition of sausage in my newest cookbook: Maryland’s Chesapeake: How the Bay and its Bounty Shaped a Cuisine.

I am a lover and collector of cookbooks, firmly believing that a good home chef goes far beyond being able to follow a recipe.

It is being educated about your food. Knowing its history, where it comes from and the chemistry behind its kitchen preparation.

My new favorite cookbook also happens to be authored by two of my local foodie friends, Kathy Wielech Patterson and Neal Patterson.

Maryland’s Chesapeake: How the Bay and its Bounty Shaped a Cuisine is one of the rare cookbooks that not only provides regionally authentic recipes from local chefs, but also background.

A great gift and also a great read if you enjoy learning about your food.

More soup recipes:

• Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Asparagus Soup
• Leftover Cabbage Soup Recipe
• Cheeseburger Soup with Lettuce and Tomato
• French Onion Soup Mix
• Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

This spicy crab soup has become one of our favorites. We make it as a quick weeknight meal, but also for parties.