Creamy Seafood Bisque (Printable)
A luxurious French soup featuring tender shellfish in a silky, aromatic cream broth.
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 7 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 5 oz scallops
03 - 5 oz lump crab meat
→ Aromatics
04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
06 - 1 small carrot, finely chopped
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
→ Liquids
08 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
09 - 4 cups seafood or fish stock
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 tbsp tomato paste
→ Seasonings
12 - 2 tbsp butter
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
16 - 1 tsp paprika
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste
→ To Finish
18 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
# Steps:
01 - In a large saucepan, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant, about 4–5 minutes.
02 - Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, and bay leaf. Cook for another 2 minutes to develop flavor.
03 - Pour in the white wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
04 - Add the seafood or fish stock, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
05 - Add shrimp and scallops to the pot. Cook until just opaque, 3–4 minutes. Remove shrimp and scallops, chop coarsely, and set aside.
06 - Puree the soup with a hand blender (or in batches in a blender) until smooth.
07 - Return the soup to the pot. Stir in heavy cream, lemon juice, and chopped seafood (shrimp, scallops, and crab meat). Simmer 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh chives or parsley.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The depth of flavor comes from building layers not from complicated techniques or hard to find ingredients
- It transforms a casual weeknight into something that feels like a special occasion without hours of work
02 -
- Overcooking the shrimp and scallops makes them rubbery so remove them the moment they turn opaque
- Hot soup expands dramatically in blenders so work in small batches and never fill more than halfway
03 -
- Sauté the shrimp shells in butter before adding the vegetables then strain them out for an incredibly deep seafood flavor
- Let the bisque rest for 5 minutes off the heat before serving to allow the flavors to fully marry