Lobster Bisque

You don’t have to go to a fancy restaurant to enjoy a decadent bowl of lobster bisque. Make this rich, creamy soup right in your own kitchen. With my 3 step process, it’s easier than you think, and your wallet will agree!

I love this recipe because it makes any day feel like a special occasion. Serving this to your family and friends is sure to make them feel special too. After all, any dish with lobster is pretty fancy!

What is bisque

Bisque is a French style of smooth, creamy soup with a velvety texture that is made from shellfish broth. Lobster bisque is a rich and decadent soup made with strained broth from lobster shells.

Making lobster bisque is a three step process

Step 1: Cook the lobster

Add thawed lobster tails to a pot of boiling water and simmer them for about six minutes or until the internal temperature reads 180 degrees.

Remove the lobster tails and allow them to cool. Remove the meat from the tails and chop into small pieces. Reserve both the lobster shells and the lobster water.

Step 2: Make the lobster broth

Measure and prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time. Chop 1 shallot, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, and smash 3 cloves of garlic.

Measure out 2 Tbsp butter, 1 cup of white wine, 2 Tbsp cognac, 1/4 cup tomato paste, and 4 cups seafood broth. Have a sprig of thyme and a bay leaf ready, and measure out 1 tsp of salt.

Artzy Foodie Tip: A good mise en place makes the cooking process go much smoother.

 In a dutch oven, over medium heat, sautee the shallots, carrots, celery, and garlic in the butter until tender. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another three minutes.

Add the white wine and cognac to deglaze the pan. Deglaze means to add liquid to a hot pan to get all the brown bits off the bottom.

Artzy Foodie Tip: Those brown bits are little flavor treasures and they make for an easy cleanup of your dutch oven!

Cook 2-3 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add the reserved lobster shells, 2 cups of the reserved lobster water, the seafood stock, the thyme, the bay leaf, and the salt.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer covered for 1 hour. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and set aside.

Step 3:  Make the bisque

The bisque begins with a roux. A roux is a thickener made by whisking together equal parts of fat (butter or oil) and flour in a warm pan.

Artzy Foodie Tip: The longer you cook the roux, the more brown it becomes and the less thickening power it has.

In a large dutch oven, over medium heat, melt 4 Tbsp butter. Whisk in 1/4 cup flour and cook for 3-5 minutes until it starts to brown and begins to smell slightly nutty. Whisk in the lobster broth and 1 cup heavy cream and bring to a simmer.

Serving the bisque

To serve the lobster bisque, place a few pieces of the chopped lobster in the bottom of a soup bowl.

And, for a dramatic presentation, slowly pour the bisque over the top of the lobster. For a little bit of heat, garnish with some cayenne pepper!

This decadent, creamy bisque with tender chunks of lobster is sure to show your family and friends just how special they are!

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Print Recipe

4.60 from 10 votes

Lobster Bisque

A decadent, rich, velvety soup with chunks of lobster meat!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs

6 Servings

Ingredients

• 3-4 ounce lobster tails or 12 ounces total depending on the size thawed
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 shallot chopped
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 3 cloves garlic smashed
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 Tbsp cognac
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 4 cups seafood broth
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

• To Cook the Lobster Tails
• Fill a large dutch oven with water and bring to a boil
• Add thawed lobster tails and bring back to a boil
• Reduce heat to medium and simmer about 6 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 180 degrees
• Remove the lobster tails, reserving the lobster water, and allow to cool
• Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, cut the lobster in half lengthwise
• Remove the lobster meat, reserving the shells, and chop into small pieces
• To Make the Lobster Broth
• In a large dutch oven, over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp butter
• Add the shallot, carrot, celery, and garlic and sautee for about 3 minutes
• Whisk in the tomato paste and cook another 3 minutes
• Add the wine and the cognac to the pan and cook another 2-3 minutes
• Add the lobster shells, 2 cups of the lobster water, seafood broth, thyme, bay leaf, and salt
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer covered for 1 hour
• Strain the broth through a fine sieve
• To Make the Bisque
• In a large dutch oven, over medium heat, melt 4 Tbsp butter
• Whisk in the flour and cook 3-4 minutes until the mixture begins to brown and smell nutty
• Whisk in the lobster broth and the heavy cream and bring to a simmer
• To Serve
• Divide the lobster meat between 6 soup bowls
• Pour 1/6th of the lobster bisque over each bowl

Notes

A good mise en place , which means getting all of your ingredients prepped before starting, makes the cooking process go much smoother.

Deglazing the pan, or adding liquids to the hot pan, gets the flavorful brown bits off the bottom and makes for an easy cleanup of your dutch oven.

The longer you cook the roux, the more brown it becomes and the less thickening power it has.

For a little bit of heat, garnish each bowl with a dash of cayenne pepper

Nutrition

Calories: 349kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 89mg | Sodium: 1134mg | Potassium: 369mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2805IU | Vitamin C: 4.3mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1.1mg

Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: French

Keyword(s): Bisque, Lobster Bisque Recipe

Recipe Author: Niki Medlin

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