This 5 ingredient shortcut recipe for crab and corn soup (or chowder) is a dump and stir recipe, ready in 10 minutes! Jars of Alfredo sauce, frozen corn, and canned diced potatoes makes it faster but you can also use sweet corn-off-the-cob, boil your own potatoes and make your own cream sauce!
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Once the weather starts to turn cold, nothing beats a warm bowl of corn and crab soup. But, honestly, I can eat this all year round!
Some of my other favorite easy soups are Shortcut White Bean and Chicken Chili, Shortcut Turnip Greens Soup, and Loaded Baked Potato Soup.
Sometimes, when you want soup, you just want it now! That's why this super quick version of sweet corn and crabmeat soup will be one of your favorites, too!
If you prefer a homemade sauce to the bottled Alfredo sauce, I've got you covered. Just scroll down for those instructions, too.
Wondering how many calories in corn chowder? There are fewer calories in this recipe than the typical recipe made with whipping cream! There are only about 174 to 178 calories per cup, with or without the crab meat! (I used Cronometer, a free site to find nutrition for recipes.)
Ingredients
What you will need to make this recipe for crab & corn soup.
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Alfredo pasta sauce
- Frozen corn - I used Southwestern style with peppers and onions.
- Diced potatoes - Canned, home-cooked, or hashbrowns.
- Lump crab meat - I used pasteurized but if you're lucky enough to live new New England, fresh is always best!
- Bacon and parsley - Optional, but adds a touch of extra flavor and color.
- Creole or cajun seasoning- To make spicy crab corn chowder, just increase the amount of this seasoning or add cayenne pepper. Be careful, though. A little goes a long way!
How to cook corn and crab soup
It's literally a dump and heat kind of recipe, but here are the step by step directions.
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Combine all the ingredients in a 6 to 8 quart pot. No need to thaw or steam the corn, first, but you can in the microwave, if you like.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook just until the soup is thoroughly heated.
- Spoon into bowls and top with bacon and garnish with parsley, if you like. I always opt in for bacon!
Pro Tips
After emptying the pasta sauce from the jar, add about 2 tablespoons of water to the jar. Put on the lid and shake vigorously. This easily loosens the creamy sauce from the sides of the jar. Now pour it in the pot!
Pasteurized crab meat in a vacuum sealed container is already cooked but needs to be refrigerated until ready to use.
Substitutions & Variations
Use what you have, I always say!
- I know I'll catch grief from crabmeat purists, but if canned or surimi crab is all you can find or afford, I say use it!
- Use canned corn in place of frozen corn. You can also cut it off the cob from steamed, boiled or grilled corn. One ear usually yields ½ cup corn kernels.
- Boil your own cubed potatoes. You will need about 1 ½ cups. Frozen hashbrowns such as Potatoes O’Brien (cubes) can also be substituted for canned potatoes.
- Instead of bottled Alfredo sauce, you can use about 3 cups whipping cream, ¼ cup butter, and 4 ounces shredded or grated Parmesan cheese. I also give you directions to make your own white sauce below.
- Instead of Creole or Cajun seasoning, you can use Old Bay seasoning.
- You can buy packaged cooked real bacon pieces in the salad dressing section of the grocery store. I do not recommend artificial “bacon bits”.
- Stir in a couple tablespoons dry white wine to elevate the flavor.
I love to serve this crabmeat corn chowder with saltine crackers, oyster crackers or my No Knead Artisan Bread.
Can I make this in the crockpot?
Yes. Combine everything but the crab in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Stir in the crab right before serving, allowing a few minutes for the crab to be thoroughly heated.
Homemade white sauce
Fix it Fresher- If you don't want to use bottles of Alfredo sauce, here's how to make a homemade white sauce with Parmesan cheese for this creamy crabmeat corn (chowder) soup.
Melt ¼ cup butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons all purpose flour. Gradually whisk in 3 ½ cups whole milk or half-and-half cream. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Stir in ½ cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese melts. Yield: 3 ½ cups sauce.
Helpful information
In a nutshell, they are all cream or milk-based soups. A bisque and a chowder typically have seafood in them. A bisque is creamy and smooth. A chowder is creamy and chunky. Soup is a very general term used loosely to describe both thin, broth-y soups and thick, creamy soups.
What to serve with corn and crab chowder
- No Knead Dutch Oven Artisan Bread
- Easy Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- 2 Ingredient Biscuits
- No-Knead Yeast Rolls
How to store
- To Store: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, covered or in an air tight container.
- You can also freeze this corn crab soup in freezer containers for up to 3 months.
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Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to rate it 5 stars if you love it!
Shortcut Corn and Crab Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 (15 ounce) jars Alfredo pasta sauce
- 1 (10-12 ounce) package frozen corn (I used Southwestern style with peppers and onions)
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced potatoes (or 1 ½ cups cooked diced potatoes)
- ½ teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
- 8 ounces lump crab meat, drained and any shell pieces removed
- Garnishes: Cooked, crumbled bacon and chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the first 5 ingredients in a 6 to 8 quart pot. No need to thaw or steam the corn, first, but you can, if you like.
- Bring to a boil and cook just until thoroughly heated. Spoon into bowls and top with bacon. Yield: 7 cups
- Garnish with bacon and parsley, if you like. I always opt in for bacon!
- Calories do not include parsley and bacon.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
Jodie Kay Baker Minor
Creamy, tasty, soup-er simple! This chowder can’t be beat!!!
Kathleen
Don't you just love a dump and heat soup?! Thank you for those kind words. I'm so glad you loved it!
Scott Phillips
A great little seafood dish
Kathleen
I watch for the crab to go on sale to make it! If I can't get fresh corn, frozen and canned works just fine!