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Daufuskie Soup

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This Daufuskie Soup recipe is a decadent, creamy seafood soup inspired by the cuisine of coastal South Carolina.

Daufuskie Soup - A creamy seafood soup recipe inspired by coastal South Carolina. Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

The Godfather and I love taking our little family circus on road trips. I don’t know if it’s because we know we have “work mandated” road trips when we relocate for his job every few years, or if it’s just a love of the adventure and the time spent together, but it’s something we always enjoy. Last year, when we traveled to Florida to visit our families, we decided to forego the airports and take a road trip instead, driving two days with a stop in Savannah mid-way. Who gives up an opportunity to visit Savannah? That’s crazy talk. 

One of the things we really love about a road trip is the opportunity to try new restaurants and regional food styles. You may remember some of the recipes I shared last summer inspired by our barbeque-themed cross-country road trip – St Louis Brisket and Kansas City Ribs. The trip down to Florida was equally inspiring with dishes I wanted to share, and this soup was top priority!

Daufuskie Soup - A creamy seafood soup recipe inspired by coastal South Carolina. Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

On our drive back up to Virginia, we started looking for lunch in South Carolina and came across this little gem of a place called Julia Belle’s at the Pee Dee Farmer’s Market. Reading about it we knew we had to try it and so we stopped for lunch. The staff was so sweet, and the food was very good – in fact, I have one more recipe inspired by this lunch coming in to the blog sometime this year. If you’re ever in the area, be sure to stop and try this local gem!

The “Daufuskie Soup” was a special on the Julia Belle’s menu the day we stopped, and I decided to give it a try. I really enjoy a good creamy seafood soup, and it sounded like a perfect road trip treat, even on a warm day. The soup had just the perfect amount of spice and a variety of seafood typical in low country cooking, and I probably only got to enjoy about half the bowl with the “tastes” being shared by the rest of the family. I knew I had to make it again, we couldn’t wait until the next road trip!

When I searched for “Daufuskie Soup” on Google, I didn’t find more than listings for soups on restaurant menus. It’s apparently named after Daufuskie Island, a small island between Savannah, Georgia and Hilton Head, South Carolina, that’s very small – mostly for tourists now – and registered as a historic landmark because it has history related to the Civil War, and was home to a Gullah population until recently.

Daufuskie Soup - A creamy seafood soup recipe inspired by coastal South Carolina. Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

There’s a certain style typical of the Southern low-country seafood soups, so I didn’t fret as I knew it would be easy to recreate the recipe as long as I got to work as soon as we got home. We reached home late that night, shopped the next day, and I made Daufuskie soup that evening for dinner so that the flavor profile would still be fresh on our palates. The Godfather said it was perfect!

I hope you enjoy this South Carolina seafood soup recipe as a special treat this winter, no matter where you are!

Daufuskie Soup - A creamy seafood soup recipe inspired by coastal South Carolina. Recipe on GoodieGodmother.com

Daufuskie Soup

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Daufuskie Soup - A creamy seafood soup recipe inspired by coastal South Carolina.

Ingredients

  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 6 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup diced sweet onion, about 1 medium
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 cup corn, frozen or cut fresh from the cob
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3 cups heavy cream
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 lb crab meat, picked over to remove shells
  • 1 lb 51/60 count shrimp, peeled and de-veined
  • 1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Instructions

  1. Melt butter over medium low heat in a stock pot. Whisk in the flour and cook 2-3 minutes.
  2. Add your onions, garlic, and bell pepper, and cook 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Add the salt, paprika, and white pepper.
  3. Slowly whisk in the cream, milk, broth, Worcestershire sauce, and 1/4 cup of the sherry, stirring constantly to ensure there are no lumps in the soup.
  4. Cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Add corn, crab meat, shrimp, and remaining 1/4 cup of the sherry wine and cook the soup uncovered an additional 10 minutes. Adjust spices and Worcestershire sauce to taste.
  6. Serve immediately.

Did this recipe inspire you?

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Brenda R

Tuesday 3rd of November 2020

My husband and I had the pleasure of stopping at Julie Belles restaurant last week in Florence SC and had their chowder and seafood boil. The chowder was the best I have ever had and the seafood boil was so delicious. I have since recommended to friends and family to stop there on the way from NYS to Florida. I had just sent a note to the delightful owner on Facebook telling her I would love the recipe...so glad I found your article.

Mary (The Goodie Godmother)

Tuesday 17th of November 2020

Aren't they just a fantastic place??? I'm so excited every time we have the opportunity to drive past and stop by from VA to FL. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!

Hillary Reeves

Wednesday 10th of February 2016

I LOVE the story behind this recipe. I'm so inspired by all of the food in this country; so much that I don't even know what I don't know!

Whitney @ That Square Plate

Monday 8th of February 2016

I went to Savannah last summer and LOVED everything about it -- especially the food. I can't believe how perfect this soup sounds... you know I love my seafood, wish I knew about it before I traveled there -- but maybe next time... or maybe I'll just make it!! Glad you shared. It looks delicious!

The Godmother

Wednesday 10th of February 2016

Just make it haha! Savannah is actually well known for their She Crab soup, which is very similar to this, but not quite. So make this one, then try the She Crab soup next time you travel. ;)

Paige @ Where Latin Meets Lagniappe

Monday 8th of February 2016

I love this soup Mary :) When I visited Charleston several years ago, the She-Crab soup was a huge local menu item. This soup really reminds me of it! But I love the addition of shrimp too! Would be delicious with a side of cornbread :)

The Godmother

Wednesday 10th of February 2016

YES it would! Creamy soups need cornbread

Brian Jones

Sunday 7th of February 2016

I love the sound of this soup, all that wonderful seafood is my idea of heaven. It's a really unusual soup for us Europeans, a heavy cream soup is not something that we would typically do with seafood, I have no idea why though as this looks fantastic!

The Godmother

Wednesday 10th of February 2016

I think it's a mostly Southern American thing, but it's really good, and making it at home to try is much cheaper than a ticket overseas. :-p

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