Old-School Baltimore Crab Soup Recipe

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook uncovered until tender about 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside.

Place the ham bone barley salt and pepper in large stock pot with 4 cups of water. Simmer over medium heat for 30 to 45 minutes. Add cabbage and tomatoes; continue simmering for 15 more minutes. Stir in the potatoes and carrots. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of water corn green beans lima beans and peas. Simmer for 20 minutes.

While the soup is simmering clean the crabs by opening it and discarding the lungs and mouth. Remove the yellowish-brown tomalley and set aside. Break the crabs in half and add to the soup along with the seafood seasoning. Simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile place the bacon in a large deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat turning occasionally until evenly browned about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Cook and stir the reserved tomalley in the remaining bacon grease over low heat until the mixture becomes gravy-like. Stir the cooked tomalley into the soup with 1 more cup of water. Continue simmering for 45 minutes then add the lump crabmeat. Season with additional salt pepper and seafood seasoning if necessary. Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.