Description
A rich, velvety seafood bisque featuring fresh crab and shrimp in a creamy, flavorful broth, perfect for a cozy dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup lump crab meat (150g)
- 1 cup shrimp, peeled and deveined (150g)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (60g)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 celery stalk, finely diced
- 1 small carrot, finely diced
- 3 cups chicken broth or seafood stock (720ml)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (30g)
- 1 cup heavy cream (240ml)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine (120ml, optional)
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley, for garnish
- Optional: splash of lemon juice if skipping wine
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients by finely chopping onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Peel and devein shrimp if needed. Set crab meat aside, checking for shells.
- Melt butter over medium heat in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic; sauté until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle in flour and stir constantly for 3 minutes until golden and nutty-smelling to form the roux.
- Slowly add dry white wine (if using), scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Pour in broth and stir in tomato paste, Old Bay seasoning, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes to marry flavors and thicken the soup.
- Remove bay leaf. Stir in crab meat and shrimp; simmer gently until shrimp turn pink and opaque, about 3-4 minutes.
- Pour in heavy cream and stir well. Heat through without boiling to avoid curdling.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. If wine was skipped, add a splash of lemon juice now.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve hot with crusty bread or garlic toast.
Notes
Do not rush the roux; stir constantly to avoid lumps. Avoid overcooking shrimp to prevent rubbery texture. Blend half the soup before adding seafood for extra creaminess if desired. Adjust seasoning at the end to avoid overseasoning. Reheat gently to prevent cream from curdling. Optional splash of sherry or brandy before serving adds extra flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 1/2
- Calories: 320
- Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 12
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 25
Keywords: seafood bisque, crab bisque, shrimp bisque, creamy seafood soup, easy seafood soup, dinner soup, bisque recipe