Remove the outer top shells from the crabs and discard. Remove the gills and innards and rinse the crab bodies with cold water.

Place the cleaned crabs in a large pot and fill with water. Add carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and peppercorns to the pot, bring to a low simmer over medium to medium-low heat, and cover.

Simmer broth for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, and skimming the top to remove any “scum”. Remove broth from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

First, strain the soup using a colander to remove the larger pieces. Then, strain the soup using a fine mesh strainer to remove the smaller pieces.

Set aside your strained broth to cool to room temperature and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.