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Fresh oysters are a big deal on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, so a classic oyster stew has become a Christmas Eve tradition in this part of the country. Whether you serve it for Thanksgiving in New England, or enjoy a warm bowl for a cozy weeknight supper in other parts of the world, this rich and creamy soup will soon become a favorite in your home as well!
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We live near the mountains in Central Virginia (not on the coastline); however, those fresh, briny oysters from the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries make a regular appearance in our neck of the woods at oyster roasts, in country markets, and on holiday tables!
Along with ham and peanuts, oysters are one of the local prides from our state, and this traditional oyster stew recipe is a simple way to showcase their flavor.
Why You’ll Love this Oyster Stew Recipe
- Easy. No special cooking skills required! This easy soup requires simple (yet delicious) ingredients, basic kitchen equipment, and minimal effort.
- Quick. The pot is ready from start to finish in less than 30 minutes.
- Make Ahead. If you’re hosting a holiday gathering, it’s nice to serve options that you can prepare in advance. This is one of those gems that you can cook the day before, and then reheat when your guests are ready to enjoy!
What is Oyster Stew?
Oyster Stew is a soup (or stew) made with oysters in a creamy broth. In New England, it’s often associated with Thanksgiving, while in Virginia it is typically prepared on Christmas Eve.
Oyster Stew is a Christmas Eve Tradition
There are a few different guesses as to why this stew has become a staple on many Christmas Eve menus. Bill Neal suggests that before the acceptance of refrigerated food transport, sufficient cold weather for shipping was not guaranteed before December, and so “Far from the coast, oysters became a symbol of the arrival of the winter holiday season, appearing in the markets by Christmas Eve and on tables that night as oyster stew.” (source)
Stephanie Butler, however, offers a different explanation: Irish Catholic immigrants would not eat meat on Christmas Eve, and were used to eating ling fish stew instead. Since “oysters taste pretty similar to dried ling: they’re salty, briny and can be quite chewy. The ling stew recipe was quickly adapted for oysters.” (source)
Ingredients for an Easy Oyster Stew Recipe
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a pot of oyster stew. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Whole milk: I do not recommend substituting with a lower fat alternative, since the whole milk is less likely to curdle when heated.
- Half-and-half or heavy cream: gives the stew a rich, smooth mouthfeel.
- Salt, pepper and ground nutmeg: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
- Butter: I use salted butter, but unsalted butter is also fine.
- Shucked oysters in their liquor: the shellfish that give the soup its name and prominent flavor. I buy jars of local raw oysters at a country market here in Madison. Don’t drain that liquor from the bottle — it adds so much great flavor to the broth in this stew!
- Worcestershire sauce: for salty, umami flavor.
How to Make Oyster Stew
It sounds fancy, and it tastes special, but this is actually one of the easiest soup recipes that you will ever make! I adapted this recipe from the cookbook Dishing Up Virginia, and the whole pot of stew is ready in less than 30 minutes! You’ll find detailed directions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:
- Warm the milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over low or medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Don’t let it boil (even medium heat may be too hot and can cause the soup to curdle).
- Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, sauté the oysters in the butter, liquor and Worcestershire sauce, just until the edge of the oysters begins to curl (this will only take about 2-3 minutes).
- Transfer the oyster mixture to the pot of milk.
- Cook over medium-low heat for about 2 more minutes, and then ladle into bowls and serve.
Serving Suggestions
Garnish each bowl with freshly chopped chives, parsley, or sliced green onions. Oyster crackers, soda crackers, or a crusty French baguette are also nice options to offer on the side.
If you’re serving wine, here are a few good choices to pair with your oyster stew:
- Muscadet and other crisp, dry white wines
- Chardonnay
- Sauvignon Blanc
Preparation and Storage Tips
- Storage: Fresh oysters (live or shucked) will keep in your fridge for up to 2 days. Once cooked, the oyster stew will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- How to Reheat: Reheat leftovers in a pot on the stovetop over low heat, just until warmed through. Do not let it get too hot, or the mixture can curdle.
- Can oyster stew be frozen? I do not recommend freezing oyster stew. The milk-based broth has a tendency to “break” or separate when thawed, which gives the stew an unappetizing texture.
Is oyster stew good for you?
This is a very rich dish, so a little goes a long way. We typically serve a small cup of stew as a “starter” with a larger holiday meal. Each cup has about 288 calories, so it’s a higher-calorie option than a lot of other soups and stews. There is a good amount of protein and fat in the dish, but it is not low-carb and therefore would not be appropriate for the Keto diet (each cup includes 14 grams of carbohydrates).
Recipe Variations
- While it’s not my first choice, you can use canned oysters for this soup, too. If the canned oysters don’t curl when cooked in the butter, that’s fine. Just make sure that they’re completely heated through.
- Add aromatics to the stew by sautéing celery, onion, shallots, or garlic in the butter before you add the oysters and other ingredients.
- Crock Pot Oyster Stew: If you’re hosting a party and you’d like to have your stew on the counter for your guests to help themselves, you can prepare the stew in the slow cooker. To do so, place the milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a slow cooker on HIGH for 1 ½ hours. Cook the oysters in the skillet as instructed in the recipe below, and then transfer the oyster mixture to the slow cooker. Reduce the heat to LOW and continue cooking (stirring occasionally) for about 1-2 more hours.
Tips for the Best Oyster Stew Recipe
- Do not strain off the oyster liquor from the jar of oysters. This liquid adds delicious, briny, rich flavor to the broth.
- How to keep oyster stew from curdling: With any milk-based soup, it’s important to make sure that you don’t let the soup get too hot, or the liquid will curdle. Keep the stew over medium-low or low heat and watch it closely. It’s also important to allow the liquid to come to room temperature before adding it to the pot.
- Use whole milk (not a lower-fat alternative), since the whole milk is less likely to curdle when cooked.
- This recipe yields 4 cups of stew, or enough for about 4 small servings. If you would like to serve this dish to a larger group, you can multiply all of the ingredients accordingly. For instance, double the ingredients for 8 cups, triple the ingredients for 12 cups, and so on.
- Garnish each bowl with green onions, fresh chives, fresh parsley, or other fresh herbs for a bright touch that nicely balances the rich broth.
More Soup Recipes to Try
Virginia Peanut Soup
55 minutes mins
Aunt Bee’s Crab Bisque
40 minutes mins
Virginia Brunswick Stew
1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Virginia Oyster Stew
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk, at room temperature
- ½ cup half-and-half or heavy cream, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 pint shucked oysters, liquor included
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- For garnish: chopped fresh chives, sliced green onions, or a dash of paprika
Instructions
- Place milk, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a medium saucepan or soup pot. Warm over medium-low heat, stirring regularly, just until hot (about 10 minutes). Do not boil.
- In a separate skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add the oysters, liquor and Worcestershire sauce. Sauté until the edge of the oysters just begin to curl (2-3 minutes). Transfer the oyster mixture to the pot of milk, and cook over medium-low heat for about 2 more minutes. Do not boil.
- Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chives or paprika, if desired.
Notes
- Do not strain off the oyster liquor from the jar of oysters. This liquid adds delicious, briny, rich flavor to the broth.
- How to keep oyster stew from curdling: With any milk or cream-based soup, it’s important to make sure that you don’t let the soup get too hot, or the liquid will curdle. Keep the stew over medium-low or low heat and watch it closely. It’s also important to allow the milk and cream to come to room temperature before adding it to the pot.
- Use whole milk (not a lower-fat alternative), since the whole milk is less likely to curdle when cooked.
- This recipe yields 4 cups of stew, or enough for about 4 small servings. If you would like to serve this dish to a larger group, you can multiply all of the ingredients accordingly. For instance, double the ingredients for 8 cups, triple the ingredients for 12 cups, and so on.
- Garnish each bowl with green onions, chives, parsley, or other fresh herbs for a bright touch that nicely balances the rich, creamy broth.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in November, 2019. The photos were updated in December, 2021.
The perfect Oyster Stew…no need for onions, celery, garlic or anything else that will take away from the fresh oyster taste. The Worchestershire sauce is a must. If you want a true “Oyster Stew” this is it! Thank you for the post, all others are unecessary
Wonderful! I’m so happy to hear that you love it too, Jane! I agree — the simple, delicious recipe is the best! 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Believe it or not,and I’ve been making it for years, I boil the oysters with a splash of water mixed with the the liquid it comes in until oysters look cooked ,then add the milk and half and half,3 tablespoons real butter. Salt,pepper,garlic powder,dash of old bay and summer till done. Its awesome.
Please take the spoons out of those bowls! Very bad manners to leave a spoon in a bowl,.
You must really fancy yourself a real culinary critic–but do you know anything about REAL food???
Why so harsh? She posted a recipe for Oyster Stew – did you make it? If so, your thoughts about the recipe and resulting dish would be very helpful. No need to criticize her as a person.
Made this was quick and easy born and raised in Virginia so oyster stew is one we make many ways also to thicken up a bit you can add some bread or make a rue which gives you a much fuller thicker soup
Thank you, Ted! Oyster stew is one of our favorite recipes, and you can never go wrong with some extra bread for thickening!
Are you serious? I stumbled upon your comment, and I suggest you NOT criticize others for their very helpful delicious posts. What’s the point? Merry Christmas, peace!!
This was awesome!!! And she was right…..no need to add anything else!!
Absolutely a great recipe to allow the flavor of the oyster to remain prominent. Thanks for sharing. I have made it twice and second time I did not curdle the milk. Thanks
Wonderful! Thanks, Betty! 🙂
I suppose I overdid the worstershire about 20 years back but my
stew ended up GREEN!!I I am familiar with “scalding” milk===our
terminology.
I like a few chunks of sharp cheddar immersed and softened with the
heat…….It all goes well with plain old saltines….
DKL
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This is the only true recipe for Oyster Stew I’ve seen on the web. Just the essentials. I don’t even need the Worcestershire. Truly, the best Oyster Stew will always be fresh… the east coast…Maryland and Virgina. You just don’t hide the depth in subtle flavor.
Thanks, David! 🙂
I have been making this for my family for the last few years as a new found Christmas tradition and they love it! It brings back fond memories for my dad. My husband and my chef brother-in-law say it’s the best they have ever had!!! Thanks for sharing this delicious and simply fantastic recipe!!!
That’s such a huge compliment. Thank you, Susannah!
Blair,
Love the oyster stew!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Michael!
Well this is missing a Va Beach main ingredient Dry Sherry. And we grow the best oysters!! Just saying
Thank you for the feedback, Jeff!