Roasted Tomato Crab Soup is simple to make and more delicious than canned. Both stovetop and slow cooker directions. YOU decide!
The most incredible tomato crab bisque ever. Homemade tomato soup made with roasted tomatoes, evaporated milk, and LOTS of crab meat. Rich, creamy, thick, and hearty. Stick to your ribs main course soup recipe. YES, you can use canned tomatoes too.
This meatless crab chowder recipe is great for Fish Friday. Vegetarian friendly too. Can be made gluten-free by substituting the flour.
I absolutely love homemade soup. Sometimes I like to make it on the stovetop. It gives me satisfaction to make soup from scratch. This recipe shows how simple foods are still the best.
Sometimes, on days I will be busy (like today because I have an appointment at 5:00), I like to use my slow cooker. Dinner will be ready when I get home.
If you have never oven-roasted tomatoes, you really need to. This is a simple way of preserving tomato recipes to freeze. I do it every year during the fall harvest. My freezer is stocked for cooking all winter long. Perfect in soup, stews, sauces, and this spicy chorizo chili recipe.
RECIPE and INSTRUCTIONS for this roasted tomato bisque can be found at the bottom of this post.
We love having soup for supper. Paired with some home-baked artisan sun-dried tomato and black olive bread, the ultimate comfort food experience. The best part is YOU made it right in your own kitchen. Super easy!
Do you love recipes with crab? I sure do. However, I do not live by the water, so fresh seafood is not easy to get. Also, it is expensive!!
Don’t fret, this recipe uses imitation crab meat. Easily found in the grocery store. Budget-friendly too. In fact, I also used it in this air fryer fish cakes recipe. Super crispy crab cakes.
Feel free to use fresh crab. Even canned crab will work too.
What Do You Need For Roasted Tomato And Crab Soup?
Just like any homemade soup recipe, you need some tasty ingredients. This low-carb crab bisque needs:
- olive oil
- onion
- bell pepper
- carrots
- flour
- vermouth (optional)
- vegetable broth
- roasted tomatoes
- seasonings (don’t forget the Old Bay)
- canned milk
- crab meat
Recipe Substitutions
You can certainly substitute ingredients. Perfect for when you go to the cupboard and realize you are out of something.
Vermouth is optional. You can eliminate it or substitute it with:
- white wine
- sherry
- vodka
- Vegetable broth is great for meatless/vegetarian recipes. Feel free to use chicken broth.
- Imitation crab is readily found in the grocery store. You can also use fresh or canned if you prefer.
- Any color of bell pepper will work for this recipe.
- Don’ forget the Old Bay seasoning, it really is a must.
- Smoked paprika can be substituted for regular paprika.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, replace the all-purpose flour.
- Clam juice can be added to this recipe for a more intense seafood flavour. You can replace some of the broth and add the juice.
How To Make This Easy Tomato Crab Bisque On The Stovetop
If you prefer the slow cooker method, everything you need to know is in the recipe card below.
Let’s make some soup for dinner.
Prepare Your Ingredients
- Dice all your vegetables and put them aside.
- Measure all your seasonings and place them in a small bowl.
- If you are using vermouth, pour and set aside.
- Have your canned milk ready to go.
- Measure out your flour.
- Have the tomatoes and broth ready to use.
- Keep the crab in the fridge until needed.
Make The Soup Base
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot.
- Add all the vegetables and saute until soft.
- Add the vermouth, and cook until the alcohol evaporates.
- Add the flour, mix and cook for about 1 minute.
Cook
- Add the stock, tomatoes and seasonings.
- Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes for the flavours to develop.
Puree
- Remove from heat.
- Add the canned milk and stir.
- Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.
- Add the crab meat.
- Return to heat. Continue cooking until heated through.
Dinner Is Ready!! Ladle into bowls and EAT!!
Equipment
- I LOVE my immersion blender (affiliate).
- You can also use a regular blender (affiliate).
- A dutch oven is my favourite stovetop appliance.
Now you can see just how easy making soup from scratch is. You will never buy soup in the can again.
What Is The Difference Between Soup, Chowder and Bisque?
If you are like me, as long as it goes into my oversized soup mug (affiliate), I just call it delicious. You can use these in the oven or microwave. The perfect way to warm up individual servings.
Chowders and bisques are actually THICK soup. Bisque is usually smooth and chowders are usually chunky. This recipe is a thick bisque, so I call it soup.
How Long Can Cream Of Crab Soup Last In The Fridge?
Usually about a week. For longer storage, you can freeze it. Place in an air-tight container, or a freezer bag. Make a double batch and have some ready for a quick meal.
What Does Fake Crab Taste Like?
Imitation crab is a puree of fish. Made of pollack, whiting, haddock, or a blend of whitefish. It has a very mild flavour. Natural colouring is used to give it a crab like appearance.
Want more slow cooker soup recipes? Give these a try:
- Kale and spicy sausage a hearty and satisfying meal with a kick of heat.
- Skip takeout and make slow cooker pho. Chicken, shrimp and lots of noodles.
- Fish chowder in the slow cooker is another place for delicious crab.
Have you ever made blender soup? What a great way to save time. Your family will think you cooked it all day long.
- Roasted pumpkin is used in this quick and easy recipe. Great for Thanksgiving.
- Roasted cauliflower soup can be made with white or orange cauliflower.
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Easy Tomato Crab Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 cup bell pepper any colour, diced
- 1 cup carrots diced
- ⅓ cup vermouth optional
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3½ cups fire roasted tomatoes homemade or canned
- 1 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoons smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons pepper
- 1½ cups evaporated milk 1 can
- 1¼ pounds crab meat imitation, fresh or canned
Instructions
Stovetop Directions:
- Dice ALL your vegetables and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions, peppers and carrots to the pot. Cook for about 15 minutes until soft.
- Add the vermouth and cook for about 2 minutes to evaporate.
- Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the broth, tomatoes and seasonings. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for about 45 minutes. You really want to establish intense flavour.
- Remove the pot from the stove. Add the canned milk and stir to combine. Using an immersion blender puree the soup until silky smooth. You can also pour the contents into a blender and blitz and then return the soup to the pot.
- Return the pureed soup to the pot. Add the crab meat and heat through. About 15 minutes.
- Dinner is ready. ENJOY!
Slow Cooker Directions:
- Heat the olive oil in a pan. Saute the onions, carrots, and peppers for about 15 minutes.
- Add the vermouth and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
- Place this mixture into the slow cooker.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, and seasonings.
- Stir and cover. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- Once cooked, add the canned milk and stir.
- Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. (Alternatively, you can pour into a blender, blitz, and return to the slow cooker).
- Add the crab meat. Cover and heat for about 30 minutes.
Jere Cassidy
No one eats crab in my house but me, so I rarely buy it, but for this soup, I am going all out. I love tomato soup and this one is just over the top and perfect to make when we have crab season here.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love this roasted tomato soup too.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
My son will love this Roasted Tomato Crab Soup, no doubt! It looks really scrumptious!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Enjoy….it is hearty and totally delicious.
Jo
I love the addition of crab in this roated tomato soup. My family would love it, going to try it for our dinner this week.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
We love this soup for dinner any night of the week. The roasted tomatoes really make a difference.
Alex
I’m usually too lazy to make soup but this one looks easy enough for even busy weeknights! I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for the tips on subs! I don’t think I can get my hands on vermouth.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Well you can certainly use any of the suggestions in the recipe, it will turn out delicious.
Erin
I love that you can use canned crab in this! I’m all for time-saving short-cuts. The vermouth sounds like a super interesting addition. I’m intrigued!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
Hope you give this super delicious tomato crab soup a try soon.
Loreto and Nicoletta
I had my first bisque years ago and fell in love! It was a lobster bisque absolutely luscious! I love that you used roasted tomatoes. Doing them this way really brings out the sweetness and in combination with the crab only tells me this is a rich flavorful soup! Thanks for sharing.
P.S. Thank goodness for slow cookers!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This really is a great soup…we have it often. So easy to make.
Kate
Great that you included recipe variations. I didn’t have vermouth so I used white wine instead and my soup tasted amazing!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
YES wine works great in this crab soup recipe. So glad you enjoyed it.
Kushigalu
My family loves soups and nothing can beat flavor of tomato soup. Its my lil ones favorite too. I would love to try it your way soon and on stove top. Thanks for sharing.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This soup is delicious either way you choose to cook it. ENJOY!
Adriana
Wow, this roasted tomato soup looks fantastic with the crab addition. Making it next week for lent Friday. Thanks for the recipe inspiration.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY the perfect meal during lent.
Amy Liu Dong
It looks really delicious and such a perfect soup for me to eat for tonight’s dinner. Yum!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree this is the perfect soup for dinner.
Natalie
Oh wow, this sounds amazing Gloria. What an interesting dish, I think I never tried anything like it. Love the ingredients and the flavors. Added vermouth sounds so exciting. I must give this a try!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I hope you give this delicious soup a try soon. We love it and enjoy it often.
Farrukh Aziz
A warm soup on a weekend evening, the best meal! The soup looks so hearty and delicious! Need to try this!
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
I agree, nothing beats soup for dinner any night of the week.