Nice choice — seafood bisque is a smooth, rich, and creamy soup made with shellfish like shrimp, crab, or lobster. It tastes fancy but can be made at home without much fuss.Quick check before we start:
👉 Do you want it to be shrimp-only, or include crab, lobster, or even fish?
👉 And do you want easy & quick, or a more classic, layered-flavor version with shells, wine, etc.?Let’s start with a flexible, flavorful shrimp & crab bisque that’s beginner-friendly and still impressive.
👉 Do you want it to be shrimp-only, or include crab, lobster, or even fish?
👉 And do you want easy & quick, or a more classic, layered-flavor version with shells, wine, etc.?Let’s start with a flexible, flavorful shrimp & crab bisque that’s beginner-friendly and still impressive.
🐚 Easy & Creamy Seafood Bisque (Shrimp + Crab)
✅ Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp flour (to thicken)
- 3 cups seafood or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ lb (225g) shrimp, peeled & chopped
- ½ cup lump crab meat (or more shrimp)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: ¼ cup dry white wine or sherry
- Optional garnish: fresh chives, parsley, or a drizzle of cream
🔥 Instructions:
- Sauté aromatics
- In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter + olive oil.
- Add chopped onion and cook until soft (about 5 mins).
- Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook for 1–2 mins until fragrant.
- Make a roux
- Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for 1 min to cook out the raw flavor.
- Deglaze & simmer
- Slowly whisk in broth (and wine, if using).
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 mins to let flavors combine.
- Blend (optional)
- For a super smooth bisque, use an immersion blender or carefully blend in batches, then return to pot.
- Add seafood & cream
- Stir in shrimp and crab; cook until shrimp turns pink (3–5 mins).
- Add heavy cream, and season with salt & pepper.
- Simmer gently for a few more minutes — don’t boil.
- Serve
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh herbs or a swirl of cream.
🧁 Tips:
- No crab? Double the shrimp or add scallops.
- Want it thicker? Simmer longer or add a little more flour.
- Prefer it spicy? Add cayenne or a splash of hot sauce.
Want a fancier lobster bisque from scratch using shells for stock? I can walk you through it — or help scale this down for two people.
