I first made this soup for a holiday gathering when I wanted something impressive yet simple. My family quickly turned it into a birthday request and there is never a drop left in the bowl.
Ingredients
- Olive oil: gives a subtle fruity base use a good quality extra virgin if you can
- Unsalted butter: adds richness to the soup and brings out flavors
- Small onion: provides a gentle aromatic sweetness look for onions with tight skins
- Garlic cloves: infuse the soup with warmth choose bulbs that feel firm
- All-purpose flour: thickens the soup go for unbleached if possible
- Seafood or chicken broth: forms the backbone of the soup opt for low sodium to control salt
- Heavy cream: brings that luscious silky texture fresher cream means better flavor
- Shrimp: gives sweet briny bites in every spoonful buy peeled and deveined for ease
- Lump crab meat: offers a delicate flavor and texture look for fresh or pasteurized over canned
- Clams: add extra seafood character optional but wonderful
- Old Bay seasoning: brings some classic seafood spice
- Cayenne pepper: offers a kick of heat add or skip based on preference
- Salt and pepper: to season taste as you go
- Lemon juice: brightens and balances all the richness freshly squeezed is best
- Fresh parsley: adds color and a grassy freshness use flat-leaf for best flavor
- Large sourdough bread bowls: hold the soup sturdy crust works best
- Olive oil for brushing: to help the bread crisp
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread Bowls:
- Carefully slice the tops off sourdough loaves and use your hands or a bread knife to hollow out the center leaving about an inch thick wall to hold in the soup. Lightly brush the inside of each bowl with olive oil this prevents sogginess and adds flavor then bake them at 375 degrees for around ten minutes until just crisp on the edges. Set these aside to cool slightly so they are ready to be filled.
- Cook the Base:
- Heat olive oil and butter together in a large heavy pot over medium heat wait until the butter is foaming before adding diced onion. Sweat the onion gently for several minutes until it is soft and translucent this develops sweetness without browning. Add minced garlic and warm until fragrant about one minute. Whisk in flour slowly stirring constantly to make a pale roux let this cook another minute to remove any raw flour taste.
- Build the Soup:
- Gradually pour in the seafood broth whisking all the time to create a smooth base watch for lumps and dissolve them. Bring this liquid up to a gentle simmer then pour in the heavy cream and stir in Old Bay and cayenne if you enjoy a bit of mild heat. Let it bubble softly for five to seven minutes stirring often the soup will thicken and take on flavor from the aromatics.
- Add the Seafood:
- Add shrimp gently to the simmering base take care not to overcook them look for the color to go from translucent to pink and fully opaque about three minutes. Fold in the crab meat and clams stir gently and cook just until warmed through this keeps the seafood tender. Squeeze in fresh lemon juice and stir in chopped parsley adjust with salt and pepper at the end so all flavors are lively.
- Serve in Bread Bowls:
- Ladle the creamy soup into each bread bowl letting it fill up without spilling over. Garnish each bowl with more parsley or a pinch of Old Bay. Serve immediately using the hollowed out bread tops and insides for dipping to soak up every bit.
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