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Crab and Mushroom Soup is creamy, hearty and so comforting! The flavors and textures of classic crab stuffed mushrooms is transformed into spoon-able, bowl form. It’s abundant with earthy mushrooms, tender crab meat, aromatics and white wine simmered in a savory broth, then finished with a touch of cream and topped with a cheesy breadcrumb pangrattato topping. You’ll be hooked after your first spoonful.
Back in 2020, I published my first cookbook called SOUPified, Soups Inspired by Your Favorite Dishes, which is a very innovative take on soups.
The book is filled with hearty soup versions of classic, comfort food recipes, such as Eggplant Parm Soup, Sausage and Peppers Soup, Chicken Scarpariello Soup, Garlic Bread Soup, Chicken Marsala Soup and even Bacon Cheeseburger Soup!
I had so much fun planning and writing the cookbook and figuring out how to best replicate the flavors and textures of a non-soup dish into a soup. It was both challenging and rewarding.
This Crab and Mushroom Soup is a SOUPified recipe through and through–the first one added here on my website!
With the year-end holidays quickly approaching, my mind is definitely on party food and hors d’oeuvres. And that often seems to include stuffed mushrooms, which I immediately thought could be turned into a delicious soup.
And while sausage stuffed mushrooms are definitely a favorite, I loved the idea of a crab stuffing even more.
This soup has all the rich flavors, textures and aromas that you’d expect in a soup version of crab stuffed mushrooms. Chunky mushrooms, tender crab, savory onions, garlic and parmesan cheese, cream (in place of the cream cheese used in the underlying recipe) and a crispy breadcrumb topping (aka, pangrattato) are joined together to create a delicious autumn-inspired soup that will carry you through to spring.
Crab and Mushroom Soup is an elegant first course for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner in a small portion but can also be enjoyed as your full meal in a larger portion any day of the week. Pair it with a side salad or sandwich and you’ll be warmed from the inside out. Mangia bene!
For more autumn-inspired soup recipes, check out my Sweet Potato Soup with Apple and Lentil Sweet Potato Kale Soup recipe.
Ingredients
- Crab: There’s no need to use the more expensive lump or jumbo lump crab meat in this soup, unless you really want to. Their signature chunky texture will get lost once mixed with the other ingredients. Backfin, claw or “special” crab meat are great options. “Special” crab is made up of small pieces of crab meat from the body of blue crabs and is perfect for soups. I used special crab meat in this recipe. Don’t like crab? Leave it out and you will have a lovely creamy mushroom soup.
- Mushrooms:Basic white mushrooms are perfect in this recipe, as are cremini mushrooms (which are basically baby portabella mushrooms). You can also use a variety of your favorite mushrooms in this soup.
- Broth: You can often find prepared mushroom broth in the supermarket, which is great in this recipe, but vegetable or chicken broth will work as well. Try to get the broth with the lowest sodium level as it is always best to add salt yourself to taste. Many purchased broths have very high sodium levels.
- Onion and Garlic: Important aromatics and base flavor for the soup.
- Butter and Flour: Butter is used to sauté the aromatics and also pairs with the flour to make the thickener for the soup. By adding the flavor a couple steps after the butter, it is a non-traditional method of maikng a roux, but is a roux nonetheless.
- Wine: Adds acid and flavor. Use a dry white wine, such as pinot grigio. For cooking purposes when white wine is called for, I generally use an $8.99 or less bottles of pinot grigio and will keep a few bottles on hand at all times.
- Worcestershire Sauce: A great way to round out the flavor of the soup and give it a boost of umami, or savoriness.
- Heavy Cream: Adds the signature creaminess factor in this creamy soup and is used to replicate the cream cheese factor in crab-stuffed mushrooms.
- Red Bell Pepper and Green Onions: These vegetables are mostly for color, but also adds a nice flavor to the soup and pangrattato topping. Consider them optional ingredients.
- Breadcrumbs and Parmesan Cheese: Like in a good crab-stuffed mushroom recipe, these ingredients are the crispy topping on this crab and mushroom soup. You can leave them out, but why would you want to???
How to Make Crab and Mushroom Soup, Step-by-Step
Here are the steps to make this crab with mushroom soup recipe:
- Gather and prep all ingredients. Then, make the breadcrumb topping. Heat oil in small skillet over medium-low heat. Then, add the breadcrumbs, cheese, optional green onions and bell peppers, salt and black pepper and cook until breadcrumbs are toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and set aside, uncovered, at room temperature.
- PRO-TIP: You can make these breadcrumbs 3 to 4 hours in advance and hold them, uncovered, at room temperature.
- Melt butter in pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. When butter has melted, add onions and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables have softened a bit, stirring occasionally.
- Then add the mushrooms and stir. Increase the heat to medium and cover the pot, allowing the mushrooms to start releasing their liquid about 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the released liquid to mostly reduce for about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Next, push most of the veggies over to one side of the pot and sprinkle the flour in the remaining liquid at the bottom of the pan and whisk quickly to combine the flour with the residual liquid. Slowly mix in the mushroom mixture to coat it with the flour and continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes while flour cooks.
- Gradually pour in the wine and about half the broth and whisk mixture quickly to fully incorporate flour into the liquid until smooth. Then, stir to loosen and scrape up any browned bits on bottom of pot.
- PRO-TIP: Try to use broth with the lowest sodium level as it is always best to add salt yourself to tase. Many purchased broths have very high sodium levels.
- Add the remaining broth, thyme, black pepper and worcestershire sauce and stir until well combined. Cover pot and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Simmer longer for a thicker soup.
- Reduce the heat, whisk in the heavy cream, simmer for 2 minutes, then fold in the crab meat, green onions and red bell pepper. Once the crab is heated, turn off the heat and serve, topped with the breadcrumb mixture. Enjoy!
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Make it Gluten-Free and Lighter: Leave out both the flour and the cream for a lighter, brothy version of crab and mushroom soup. And, omit the pangrattato breadcrumb topping.
- Don’t like crab? If crab soup is not your thing, leave it out and you will have a lovely creamy mushroom soup. I suggest increasing the amount of mushrooms to 4 pounds if you plan on doing this.
- Want a Smoother Soup? If you prefer a smoother soup, you can puree it with a hand blender after adding the cream and BEFORE adding the crabmeat, green onions and bell peppers. The soup will be slighter thicker as well if you do this.
- Prefer Sausage to Crab? Omit the crab and brown one pound bulk Italian sausage along with the onions and garlic. Then, proceed with this recipe.
If you love soups with seafood, check out my Crab Cake Soup, Shrimp Scampi Soup, Clams Casino Soup and Shrimp Pad Thai Soup recipes, which are all in my cookbook, SOUPified: Soups Inspired by Your Favorite Dishes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since mushrooms are very porous and absorb liquid very easily, the best way to clean mushrooms is by using a dry paper towel to wipe away any dirt.
Basic white mushrooms are perfect in this recipe, as are cremini mushrooms (which are basically baby portabella mushrooms). You can also use a variety of your favorite mushrooms in this soup.
There’s no need to use the more expensive lump or jumbo lump crab meat in this soup, unless you really want to. Their signature chunky texture will get lost once mixed with the other ingredients. Backfin, claw or “special” crab meat are great options. “Special” crab is made up of small pieces of crab meat from the body of blue crabs and is perfect for soups. I used special crab meat in this recipe.
TOP TIPS FOR CRAB AND MUSHROOM SOUP
- Crab: There’s no need to use the more expensive lump or jumbo lump crab meat in this soup, unless you really want to. Their signature chunky texture will get lost once mixed with the other ingredients. Backfin, claw or “special” crab meat are great options. “Special” crab is made up of small pieces of crab meat from the body of blue crabs and is perfect for soups. I used special crab meat in this recipe.
- Don’t like crab? Leave it out and you will have a lovely creamy mushroom soup. I suggest increasing the amount of mushrooms to 4 pounds if you plan on doing this.
- Mushrooms: Basic white mushrooms are perfect in this recipe, as are cremini mushrooms (which are basically baby portabella mushrooms). You can also use a variety of your favorite mushrooms in this soup.
- Make in Advance: You can make the pangrattato breadcrumbs 3 to 4 hours in advance and hold them, uncovered, at room temperature.
- Want a Smoother Soup? If you prefer a smoother soup, you can puree it with a hand blender after adding the cream and BEFORE adding the crabmeat, green onions and bell peppers. The soup will be slighter thicker as well if you do this.
- Serving Suggestions: Crab and Mushroom Soup is hearty and can be enjoyed on its own as your main meal or paired with a green salad and some crusty bread. In a smaller portion, it makes a really nice first course.
- Storage: The soup can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Great Recipes to Try
I hope that you are enjoying my Italian food blog and all of my Italian recipes and Italian-American recipes!
If you’ve tried Crab and Mushroom Soup, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
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Crab and Mushroom Soup (Crab Stuffed Mushrooms SOUPified!)
Equipment
- Large pot (or Dutch oven)
- Dutch oven (or large pot)
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1½ cups small diced yellow onion
- ¼ cup chopped garlic
- 3 pounds mushrooms, rough chopped (See Notes.)
- 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine such as pinot grigio
- 6 cups low-or no sodium mushroom, chicken or vegetable broth (See Notes.)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 4 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound crab meat, picked for shells (See Notes.)
- 1 bunch green onions. chopped, divided (about 8 each, some used for breadcrumbs optionally)
- 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, small diced, divided (some used for breadcrumbs optionally)
- Salt to taste, if necessary
Breadcrumb Topping:
- 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup plain, fine breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup chopped green onion (from above, optional)
- ⅓ cup small diced red bell pepper (from above, optional)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Gather and prep all ingredients according to specifications above. (Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)
- Prepare the breadcrumb topping. Heat oil in small skillet over medium-low heat. Then, add the breadcrumbs, cheese, optional green onions and bell peppers, salt and black pepper and cook until breadcrumbs are toasted, about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat and set aside, uncovered, at room temperature.6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup plain, fine breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup chopped green onion, ⅓ cup small diced red bell pepper, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper
- Melt butter in 6-quart (or larger) pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. When butter has melted, add onions and garlic and cook for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables have softened a bit, stirring occasionally.4 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1½ cups small diced yellow onion, ¼ cup chopped garlic
- Then add the mushrooms and stir. Increase the heat to medium and cover the pot, allowing the mushrooms to start releasing their liquid about 2 to 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the released liquid to mostly reduce for about 2 to 3 minutes.3 pounds mushrooms,
- Next, push most of the veggies over to one side of the pot and sprinkle the flour in the remaining liquid at the bottom of the pan and whisk quickly to combine the flour with the residual liquid. Slowly mix in the mushroom mixture to coat it with the flour and continue stirring for 1 to 2 minutes while flour cooks.6 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- Gradually pour in the wine and about half the broth and whisk mixture quickly to fully incorporate flour into the liquid until smooth. Then, stir to loosen and scrape up any browned bits on bottom of pot.1 cup dry white wine
- Add the remaining broth, thyme, black pepper and worcestershire sauce and stir until well combined. Cover pot and bring mixture to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Simmer longer for a thicker soup. (NOTE: For a thicker soup, reduce the amount of broth by 1 cup.)1 tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp black pepper, 4 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium low and whisk in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Simmer for 2 minutes, then fold in the crab meat, green onions and red bell pepper and stir well. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Once the crab is heated, turn off the heat.1 cup heavy cream, 1 pound crab meat,, 1 bunch green onions., 1 large red bell pepper,, Salt to taste, if necessary
- Ladle hot soup into bowls and top with the breadcrumb mixture. Buon Appetito!
Notes
- This recipe makes about 12-13 cups soup. I figured on about 1½ cups portion per serving, but adjust accordingly.
- You can make the pangrattato breadcrumbs 3 to 4 hours in advance and hold them, uncovered, at room temperature.
- There’s no need to use the more expensive lump or jumbo lump crab meat in this soup, unless you really want to. Their signature chunky texture will get lost once mixed with the other ingredients. Backfin, claw or “special” crab meat are great options. “Special” crab is made up of small pieces of crab meat from the body of blue crabs and is perfect for soups. I used special crab meat in this recipe.
- Basic white mushrooms are perfect in this recipe, as are cremini mushrooms (which are basically baby portabella mushrooms). You can also use a variety of your favorite mushrooms in this soup.
- You can often find prepared mushroom broth in the supermarket, which is great in this recipe, but vegetable or chicken broth will work as well. Try to get the broth with the lowest sodium level as it is always best to add salt yourself to tase. Many purchased broths have very high sodium levels.
- For a thicker soup, reduce the amount of broth by 1 cup.
- If you prefer a smoother soup, you can puree it with a hand blender after adding the cream and BEFORE adding the crabmeat, green onions and bell peppers. The soup will be slighter thicker as well if you do this.
- The red bell pepper is mostly for color, but also adds a nice flavor to the soup. Consider them optional ingredients.
- The soup will thicken a bit as it sits.
- The soup can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Consider portioning extra soup into containers to enjoy down the road! Reheat it slowly over medium low heat while stirring, adding additional broth or water if needed.
Michele, would chicken breast be good in place of crab? thank you
Hi Doreen, Sure-you can use chicken breast in place of crab meat. Let me know how it goes if you try this! Enjoy the recipe.