January is National Soup Month

January is National Soup Month. Since it’s cold outside (in most places in the U.S.) or if you happen to be in a warm place like Florida then it’s the perfect time to have some seafood soup. We are suggesting three recipes from the Blue Crab Bay website dressing up Blue Crab Bay Soups.

 The first one is Clam Chowder with Bacon Bits. Start with a can of Blue Crab Bay New England Clam Chowder. Here are the other recipe ingredients: one large white potato, one stalk celery, two strips cooked bacon, chopped, 15 oz. half-and-half, and parsley, chopped. Boil the potato until tender, then dice. Sauté finely chopped celery an
d most of the bacon, and set aside. In a stockpot, combine the New England Clam Chowder and half-and-half. Heat slowly, stirring frequently. When very hot, add the diced potato and celery, and stir until warm. Ladle into serving bowls, then garnish with crumbled bacon and parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

Cape Charles Crab and Shrimp Chowder

 The second recipe is Cape Charles Crab and Shrimp Chowder using 2 cans of Blue Crab Bay Cream of Crab Soup. . Here are the other recipe ingredients: 5 slices of bacon, finely diced, 1 onion, finely chopped, 3 stalks of celery, finely chopped, 1 carrot, finely chopped, 1 red pepper, finely chopped, 4 tbsp. butter, 4 tbsp. flour, 4 cups chicken stock, 1 cup of half-and-half, ½ tsp. hot sauce, ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce, and 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp and 2 cans White Crab Meat. In a large kettle, cook diced bacon until crisp, then add onion, celery, carrot and red pepper and cook until tender, stirring so as not to burn. Add butter and let it melt, then add flour and stir until well absorbed. Add stock, soup, half-and-half and sauces. Mix thoroughly, then allow chowder to simmer on low heat for about 25 minutes. Add shrimp and cook just until they turn pink. Before serving, carefully fold in crab meat and allow to warm. Salt and pepper, if desired. Yields about 6 bowls or 12 cups of soup.

She-Crab Soup

The third recipe is “kicked up” She-Crab Soup using Blue Crab Bay She-Crab Soup. The other ingredients are: 1 can cream or half-and-half, dry sherry, whole nutmeg, fresh crabmeat, and fresh parsley for garnish. Empty contents of She-Crab Soup can into saucepan and add one can of cream or half-and-half. Heat soup slowly, stirring frequently. Do not boil. Ladle the soup into two to four bowls, depending on their size. Drizzle with sherry. Grind nutmeg atop soup and garnish with crabmeat and parsley. Serves two to four.