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This easy Lobster Bisque recipe is the fabulous gourmet starter you didn’t know you needed! You’re going to love this creamy soup made with buttery lobster tails, seafood stock, and fresh herbs.
And if you’re a fan of bisque, don’t miss out on my rich and velvety creamy tomato bisque for another delicious bowl of goodness.
If you’ve ever eaten a truly good lobster bisque made with fresh lobster, you know how additionally special this soup is. Creamy, thick, and infused with lobster flavor, the highly seasoned dish is a seafood lover’s delight! It’s one of my favorite soups, hands down, just like my lobster ravioli recipe.
The issue with making lobster bisque at home is that it’s a rather complicated recipe. My version, though, is very simple! Although it’s homemade from scratch, the process has been streamlined for you to make everything easier. And don’t worry! It’s still thick, creamy, and well-seasoned, with juicy pieces of lobster meat all throughout.
What Is a Bisque?
Originally, a bisque meant a creamy soup with a base made from the flavor-rich shells of seafood. It originated in France, and these days, any thick puréed soup with a cream base is considered a bisque. You’ll find lots of velvety bisques out there, from tomato bisque to mushroom to this lobster version. Other popular variations include crab, shrimp, crayfish, and langoustine. If you want to be really traditional, serve this bisque soup in a two-handled cup on a saucer or a large mug.
Recipe Ingredients
To create a rich and creamy lobster bisque, you’ll need some key ingredients to make it a restaurant-quality dinner right at home! Please scroll down to the recipe card for complete instructions.
- Lobster: For this recipe I used four uncooked lobster tails.
- Olive Oil and Butter: For sautéing.
- Onion: Dice up a small onion; I typically use yellow onions, but any kind will do.
- Celery: You’ll need three celery stalks, finely chopped.
- Carrots: Finely chopped carrots add sweetness to the bisque.
- Fresh Thyme and Rosemary: These classic herbs create fragrance and depth.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
- Garlic: Mince four cloves of garlic.
- Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is a simple way to add a lot of flavor to just about any soup or stew.
- Flour: Use a little all-purpose flour to thicken the lobster bisque.
- Seafood Stock: You can make your own seafood stock or purchase it.
- Dry White Wine: Make sure to use your favorite dry wine.
- Bay Leaf: You’ll need one bay leaf.
- Cream: Use heavy cream here – it makes the bisque rich and velvety.
- Chopped Fresh Parsley: For garnish.
How To Choose Lobster
When choosing lobster, the first thing to look for is a gray tinge or discolored areas – steer clear of those! A speckled shell is fine. Speckled lobster is generally from a warm water locale, like Florida. Just try to look for tails that have an even color without any unpleasant, ammonia-like odor. However, if you can find cold-water lobster, that’s the better buy, although typically pricier. Cold-water lobsters, like the amazing ones that have made Maine famous, are known for cleaner, firmer, tastier meat.
Can I Use Frozen Lobster Tails?
Definitely! In fact, frozen seafood is often of higher quality than fresh seafood at a supermarket. That’s because it is frozen right after being caught and cleaned. You can even cook them from frozen. No need to thaw.
How to Make Lobster Bisque
Making this bisque recipe is very simple, especially if you start with all of your ingredients prepped and organized on your working surface.
- Cook the Lobster Tails. Fill a large pot with water and set over high heat. Stir in salt and bring to a boil. Add the lobster tails, cover with a lid, and continue to boil until the lobsters are fully cooked.
- Chop the Lobster Meat. Remove the cooked lobster tails from the water and set them aside to cool. Remove the meat from the shells and chop it up into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Sauté the Veggies. In the meantime, heat the olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven or 6-quart soup pot. Stir in the onions, celery, carrots, fresh thyme, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add Garlic, Tomato Paste, and Flour. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste. Finally, sprinkle flour over the veggies and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add Liquids and Simmer. Stir in the seafood stock and wine. Add the bay leaf and reduce the heat to a simmer, cooking for about 30 minutes.
- Blend. Using an immersion blender, blend the lobster bisque soup until smooth. You could also use a regular blender.
- Finish the Bisque. Stir in the heavy cream and the reserved lobster meat; cook for 5 more minutes. Taste for salt and pepper, adjusting as needed. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Recipe Tips
- Make lobster broth: You can make your own broth or stock for this dish with the leftover lobster shells. In a separate pot, melt a little butter and sauté the shells for a minute or two with some celery and onion. Then add about five cups of water and a splash of wine, and cook on low heat for about an hour.
- Use a cheesecloth for extra smoothness: To get the silkiest lobster bisque, strain the blended soup through layers of cheesecloth before adding the lobster meat and cream.
- Spice it up: For a Louisiana kick, try stirring a little Creole seasoning into your bisque!
What Goes with Lobster Bisque Soup?
Lobster bisque is a special dish and is wonderful to serve as a starter for a hearty oven grilled steak or steak au poivre. Play up the bisque’s creaminess with this creamy garlic butter pasta with spinach. Biscuits are my favorite with everything, but especially with lobster bisque! Try these super-simple garlic and cheddar drop biscuits.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- To store leftovers, place them in an airtight food storage container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.
- Freezing bisque is not recommended, because the texture will degrade.
More Seafood Recipes to Try
- Bouillabaisse Recipe
- Creamy Lemon Butter Scallops
- Lobster Rolls
- San Francisco Cioppino
- Air Fryer Salmon Bites
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Lobster Bisque Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lobster tails, each should weigh about 6 ounces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 to 6 cups seafood stock
- 1½ cups dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup heavy cream
- chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with 6 cups of water and set over high heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil.
- Add the lobster tails to the boiling water; cover with a lid and continue to boil for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through and the lobsters are bright red. If cooking frozen lobsters, they may need a minute or two longer to cook.
- Remove the cooked lobster tails from the pot and set aside to cool.
- When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells. Chop up the meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
- In the meantime, set a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium heat.
- Add olive oil and butter to the pot and heat it up. To the hot oil, add onions, celery, and carrots.
- Stir in fresh thyme and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until soft and tender.
- Stir in garlic and cook for 20 seconds. Add tomato paste and stir to coat all the veggies; cook for 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over the veggies and cook for 1 more minute. Pour in seafood stock and wine; stir to combine.
- Add bay leaf; reduce heat to a simmer. Let simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the bay leaf.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. You can also use a regular blender or food processor, but don’t blend all the soup at once; blend in batches.
- Stir in the heavy cream and the reserved lobster meat; cook for 5 more minutes or until heated through.
- Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust to taste.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Made this twice now. The texture and appearance is awesome, just not a lot of flavor to this recipe.
Try adding more salt and even some pepper. Sometimes, just a little more salt is all you need to bring out all the flavors in the dish.
It’s good to know your dish turned out well. I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
I’m using frozen lobster tail pieces. How many ounces lobster meat does this recipe actually call for?
You could use about 2 cups of lobster pieces.
Could you make a day ahead Then reward to serve
I am making this for a luncheon this Friday. Making my groc list now