Luxurious Seafood Bisque Crab Shrimp (Printable)
Rich, velvety blend of sweet crab and shrimp in creamy broth with herbs
# What You Need:
→ Seafood
01 - 9 oz lump crab meat, picked over for shells
02 - 9 oz medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
→ Aromatics & Vegetables
03 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 2 tbsp olive oil
05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
07 - 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
08 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
→ Liquids
09 - ½ cup dry white wine
10 - 4 cups seafood or fish stock
11 - 1 cup heavy cream
→ Flavorings
12 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - 1 tsp paprika
15 - ½ tsp cayenne pepper
16 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
17 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
18 - 2 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
19 - Lemon wedges, for serving
# Directions:
01 - Heat butter and olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrot; sauté 6–8 minutes until softened but not browned.
02 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, cayenne, and thyme; cook for 1–2 minutes.
03 - Pour in white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
04 - Add seafood stock and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
05 - Remove and discard bay leaf. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender in batches to purée the soup until smooth.
06 - Return bisque to the pot. Stir in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
07 - Add shrimp and cook 3–4 minutes until pink and just cooked through. Add crab meat and gently heat through for 2 minutes.
08 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, garnish with chives or parsley, and serve with lemon wedges.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The velvety texture comes from properly puréed vegetables, not just cream, so it feels luxurious without being heavy
- Building flavors in stages means every layer contributes depth that store bought seafood soups simply cannot match
02 -
- Never add the shrimp and crab before puréeing or you will end up with a stringy, unpleasant texture instead of a smooth velvety soup
- Letting the bisque sit for 15 minutes off the heat after adding the cream allows the flavors to marry and the texture to become even more luxurious
03 -
- Sauté the shrimp shells in the butter before starting step one, then remove them for an incredibly deep seafood flavor that costs almost nothing extra
- If the bisque seems too thick after puréeing, thin it with additional stock rather than water or more cream to maintain the intensity of flavor