Paula Deen Quick Crab Stew

Paula Deen quick crab stew takes 35 minutes and claw crabmeat, cream of celery soup and sherry to make a creamy, comforting seafood soup that feeds 6. Save this easy Southern crab soup for a holiday table, Sunday dinner or cozy weeknight dinner, because it's a simple one-pot recipe.

Bring the pot just to a boil once the crabmeat goes in, and no further. Letting it boil hard turns the delicate crab tough and rubbery, and you lose the sweet texture that makes this stew worth making.

Paula builds this on canned cream of celery and cream of potato soups, so the whole stew comes together in one pot with almost no chopping. She also says you can cool it and freeze it in microwavable containers, which makes it handy to have on hand for busy nights.

Paula Deen Quick Crab Stew

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Course: SoupCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

340

kcal

Sautéed onion, two creamy soups and a splash of sherry make a silky base that stays chunky with sweet claw crab. Since it only needs one pot, it goes from stovetop to bowl in about 35 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup dry sherry
  

• 1 lb claw crabmeat, picked free of any broken shells
  

• 1 soup can half and half
  

• 1 soup can milk
  

• 1 (10 3/4-oz) can condensed cream of celery soup
  

• 1 (10 3/4-oz) can condensed cream of potato soup
  

• 1 small onion, chopped
  

• 2 tablespoon Butter
  

• salt
  

• Freshly ground black pepper
  

Directions

• Sauté the onion: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large saucepan, then add 1 small chopped onion. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it turns translucent.
• Add the soups and dairy: Stir in 1 can condensed cream of celery soup and 1 can condensed cream of potato soup. Then add 1 soup can of milk and 1 soup can of half and half, stirring until the base looks smooth.
• Add the crabmeat: Add 1 pound of claw crabmeat, picked free of any broken shells. Then bring the pot just to a boil, stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.
• Season with sherry: Stir in 1/4 cup dry sherry, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve right away while it's steaming hot.
• Cool and store: If you're saving some, let the stew cool to room temperature first. Then refrigerate or freeze it right away in reusable microwavable containers with lids.

Tools for this recipe

• Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO wooden spoon set. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I use lump crabmeat instead of claw crabmeat?

Yes, lump crabmeat works and gives you bigger, prettier pieces of crab in each spoonful. It costs more than claw meat, though, and the stew tastes great with either one.

What can I use instead of dry sherry?

A splash of dry white wine is the closest swap, since it brings the same light acidity. You can also leave the sherry out, but the stew will taste a little flatter without it.

Can I make crab stew ahead of time?

Yes, the recipe is made to be cooled and stored. Refrigerate or freeze it in microwavable containers with lids, then reheat gently so the crab stays tender.

How do I reheat leftover crab stew?

Warm it slowly over low heat, stirring often, or microwave it in short bursts. High heat can make the crab rubbery and may cause the cream base to separate.

What's the biggest mistake with this stew?

Boiling it hard after the crab goes in is the most common one. Bring it just to a boil and stop there, because the crab is already cooked and only needs to heat through.