Grandma’s Simple Oyster Soup Recipe
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Grandma’s Oyster Soup is a traditional Christmas menu item. Grab a sleeve of crackers and dig into this soup featuring oysters in a buttery-milk broth.
Oyster Stew
Grandma was the kindest, most gentle, tender-hearted, church-going farm wife around. The only time I ever saw her mad was if Dad (or someone else) turned up the heat too high on her oyster stew. That is a huge no-no for Grandma and any other oyster stew-making cook.
Let me repeat that, do not turn up the heat. Do NOT scald the milk. Don’t worry, I’ll remind you again later.
Every Christmas day or Christmas Eve (that I can remember), Grandma made this old-fashioned oyster stew recipe. It’s synonymous with Christmas dinner. Even after she passed onto heaven, my Dad (with Mom’s help) has kept the tradition alive. It’s a known fact in our house, that you do not mess with the temperature of the burners when the oyster soup is brewing.
Low and slow. That’s the name of the game when you’re cooking up cream of oyster soup. Do not turn up the heat to speed up the warming process and do not scald the milk.
Grandma’s Oyster Soup Ingredient List
This is a very basic oyster stew recipe with only butter, milk, oysters (with the liquor), salt and pepper. This allows the oyster flavor to shine through and take center stage.
- Fresh oysters
- Butter
- Whole Milk
- Salt
- Black peppers
Much of the oyster flavor comes from the oyster “liquor”. I’m not sure if this is an accurate term or just one my Mom uses. In the dictionary of Mom, oyster liquor is the liquid that the oysters come in from the store. Be sure to follow this process to prevent grit and broken oyster shells in your oyster liquor.
- Run the oyster juice through a sieve. Save the oyster juice to add to the cream of oyster stew.
- Rinse the oysters in cold water in a colander.
The amount of oysters you use is ultimately up to you. Grandma lived through the Great Depression, and she never really lost that sense of frugalness. When Grandma made a pot of oyster soup with milk, she only added one pint of oysters. (She also counted exactly three chocolate chips to be added to each chocolate chip cookie. But that’s a story for another day.)
Dad prefers more oysters in his oyster stew so our Mom usually adds two pints. Either way you go is just fine.
How to Make Oyster Stew with milk
Step by Step Instructions
- To remove any dirt or grittiness, put a sieve over a bowl; drain oyster juice and reserve juice.
- Rinse oysters gently in a colander to rinse away any shells.
- Melt butter in a soup pot or large saucepan over low heat.
- Add rinsed raw oysters and gently warm for a few minutes never taking heat over low.
- To the oysters and butter, add whole milk and stir.
- Gently warm soup (low simmer), stirring occasionally until heated through. Do not boil and do not scald milk.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve with crackers.
Equipment
Before starting this easy soup recipe, take a minute to see if you have the pantry ingredients and kitchen tools needed on hand.
Storage Instructions
Let leftovers cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge. Eat within one to two days.
For the full recipe and ingredient list for basic oyster stew, scroll to the bottom of this post.
Oyster Soup with Buttery-Milk Broth
When cooking this soup, just be sure to season, taste, and season again. Without the proper amount of salt and pepper, the oyster broth won’t have enough flavor or pizzazz. I recommend starting with 1 teaspoon of salt and adding up to 3 teaspoons total.
How long is oyster stew good for?
The FDA recommends eating cooked shellfish within two days (with proper refrigeration). Be sure to refrigerate the oyster stew within two hours after the cooking process has ended.
How do you make oyster stew from scratch?
It’s simple really. Slowly warm melted butter, whole milk, and clean oysters (with their juices) in a large saucepan. Once warmed through, season with salt and pepper. Serve with oyster crackers or saltines.
What do you eat oyster stew with?
Go simple with basic oyster crackers or saltines or serve with homemade yeast rolls. Grandma’s oyster stew is the perfect side dish or appetizer before a larger meal such as brisket or prime rib.
Notes About Grandma’s Oyster Soup:
- Use whole milk, no exceptions! You could use 2% milk but for a full, rich, creamy flavor, use whole milk.
- Use 1 or 2 pints oysters, to your preference.
- Substitute margarine for butter, if desired.
- The most important thing to remember is to only heat this soup over low heat. Resist the urge to speed up the process by turning up the heat.
- This soup will not taste good if it isn’t seasoned properly. Start with 1 teaspoon salt, and then taste. Go up to 3 teaspoons salt, if desired.
Traditional Christmas Recipes:
- Mom’s Poppy Seed Bread
- Dainty Logs (shortbread with chocolate chips)
- Crock Pot Beef Brisket
- Grandma’s Fantasy Fudge
- Cinnamon Glazed Nuts
Grandma’s Oyster Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 – 2 pints oysters (with juice)
- 1/2 gallon whole milk
- 1 – 3 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Pour oyster juice through a sieve to remove grit; reserve juice for soup .
- Rinse oysters in cold water in colander to remove any broken shells.
- Melt butter in a large sauce pan or soup pot over low heat. Add oysters and gently warm for a few minutes.
- Add milk and oyster juice. Continue to heat slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally.
- When the broth is warm (not scalded), season slowly with salt and pepper. Taste and continue to season until the milk broth is flavorful.
- Serve with crackers or oyster crackers.
Notes
- Use whole milk, no exceptions! You could use 2% milk but for a full, rich, creamy flavor, use whole milk.
- Use 1 or 2 pints oysters, to your preference.
- Substitute margarine for butter, if desired.
- The most important thing to remember is do only heat over low heat. Resist the urge to speed up the process or to turn up the heat.
- This soup will not taste good if it isn’t seasoned properly. Start with 1 teaspoon salt, and then taste. Go up to 3 teaspoons salt, if desired.
- Love soup? Try Mom’s Wild Rice and Broccoli Soup.
- The nutritional information below is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used.
Nutrition
Exactly how my 76 year old grandmother used to make it! This is the only recipe I’ve seen online that is made like this. Thanks for sharing!
Grandma’s recipes are the best! So glad this one reminds you of yours. Thanks for the note!
Condense the directions without photos- uses too much paper and ink to print.
You can click on the print recipe button at the top of the page or at the top of the recipe and uncheck the boxes at the top to print without the extras!
Well, Phyllis you are close. Back in the mid 1940s when I was a teen ager my Mom made oyster stew all winter in Panama City, FL. She used whole milk and Carnation just as you do. Dad’s business frequently took him to Apalachicola and he would bring home a 40 lb crocus bag of oysters in shell ($2.00). He taught me to shuck em. Mom never used margarine, even during the war. I sometime had to take cream off top of milk to make the butter with a little hand crank beater. You missed one essential ingredient: 1 or 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, that brought out umami before we even heard of umami. I’m making stew tomorrow. A pint of Pacific extra small ($12.00 @ Walmart all I could find) is what I will use. Wish me luck. My wife of 68+ years recently died so I am learning to cook some of her favorites and my Mom’s stew was one of her favorites.
My mother would use 3 quarts whole milk and 1 qt of half and half. Otherwise the recipe was the same. It was a traditional Christmas Eve supper.
An addition that puts it over the top is dried minced onion flakes (I add when melting the butter to soften them). Also use whole milk and real butter…I mean really, we’re not making this very often..indulge! Our family also had this treat on Christmas eve…Great memories…
Great recipe and definitely ole time and delicious ! Just made it, yummy !
My mother made this same oyster stew just Luke your grandmother makes it. so simple an so delicious. I’m having this tonight with crackers. Just like yall do.
Isn’t it just comforting?!? Thanks for sharing!
Great recipe! I’ve been making Oyster Stew this way for years but have never had a recipe to follow. Quality butter and whole milk are so important. We like a little heat so I add a small amount of Cayenne Pepper (to taste) when heating the stew. Being from Maryland we also love Old Bay Seasoning so I usually put the ole’ can on the table for those who want to add in another layer of flavor. Seasonings are added sparingly as we certainly don’t want to overpower the stars of the stew, the oysters. Glad to see this recipe. Thank you!
Delicious! I used my pressure cooker to steam oysters open, with 1 cup of water, (after thoroughly cleaning them with water and a scrub brush). Once pressure cooker heated up, I let them cook for 2 mins then quickly released the pressure. After pouring them into a colander, (lined with cheesecloth), I was able to reserve the juice for the soup and the partially-steamed oysters were easy to get out of the shells.
What a great tip! Thanks for sharing.
I make it very similar to this. I use 2%milk as we never buy whole milk and add some canned evaporated milk for richness. Also sprinkle a little paprika on at the end.
this is exactly the recipe that my grandmother always made at Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember. It is a cherished memory. after her death, my mother always made it. Once I got married, I kept up the tradition. It’s so exciting to see that others love this too. never had a written recipe. I’ve just made it from memory. It’s nice to have it written down. Thank you so much for doing that and for The special memory. I can’t wait till Christmas Eve. I just may have to have it before.
Traditions are the best. Thanks for sharing!
Can this be used with canned oysters?
This is how my mom made it and I’m making some right now. Thank you for adding suggestions for the amount of salt and pepper. The phrase “salt and pepper to taste” is one of the least helpful around. Especially in soups.