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Creamy Lobster Bisque Recipe

By Britney
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6
lobster bisque in a bowl with lobster on top and a drizzle of heavy cream and fresh dill for garnish.
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Creamy garlic-butter lobster bisque, blended silky smooth and finished with cream for a rich, restaurant-style soup.

Equipment

  • Skillet
  • Large Pot
  • Kitchen Shears
  • Blender or Immersion Blender (you can also use a large food processor)
  • Fine Mesh Sieve/Strainer
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Ingredients 

  • 2 lbs Lobster Tails, (frozen or fresh)
  • 4 tbsp Salted Butter
  • 6 cloves Garlic, (diced)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley, (diced)
  • 2 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Whole Shallots, (diced)
  • 2 Carrots, (peeled)
  • 2 Celery Stalks, (diced)
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 1 tsp Chicken Bouillon
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
  • 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • 1 cup (240 ml) White Wine
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) Brandy
  • 4 cups Seafood Stock, (or chicken stock)
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 3 sprigs Thyme
  • 3 sprigs Tarragon, (optional)
  • Parmesan Rind, (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) Heavy Cream
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) Lemon Juice
  • Optional toppings: fresh dill, additional drizzle of cream, and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning

Instructions 

  • Sprinkle olive oil into a large pot over medium heat. Add shallots, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, until slightly softened and fragrant - we're just sweating the vegetables, we don't want to brown them as this will overpower the flavor of the soup. 2 tbsp Olive Oil 2 Whole Shallots 2 Carrots 2 Celery Stalks
  • After 5 minutes, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, then add tomato paste, chicken bouillon, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste deepens in color. 1 tbsp Tomato Paste 1 tsp Chicken Bouillon 1 tsp Smoked Paprika 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper 1/8 tsp Nutmeg 1 tsp Black Pepper
  • Pour in white wine and brandy and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan (deglaze the pan). Continue to cook for 5 minutes to cook off some of the alcohol, then pour in the seafood stock and add bay leaves, fresh thyme, tarragon, and parmesan rind (if using). 1 cup White Wine 1/2 cup Brandy 4 cups Seafood Stock 2 Bay Leaves 3 sprigs Thyme 3 sprigs Tarragon Parmesan Rind
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce stove to low heat, cover with a lid simmer for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.
  • While the bisque is simmering, cook the lobster. Remove the lobster from the shell. Use kitchen shears to cut straight down the middle of the underside of the lobster shell. Then cut the middle of the top of the shell. Crack open the shell and gently remove the meat. If you see a black vein in the center of the lobster tail, make a small slit and pull it out. Pat the lobster dry with a paper towel and cut into small 1 inch pieces. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. 2 lbs Lobster Tails
  • In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add diced garlic and lobster chunks. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, until the meat is opaque and pigmented part has turned a deep orange color. Add in parsley, toss together, and remove from the heat and place lobster onto a plate. 4 tbsp Salted Butter 6 cloves Garlic 1 tbsp Fresh Parsley
  • Pour in the remaining liquids from the skillet that the lobster was cooked into the pot - this really enhances that sweet lobster flavor. Stir together and remove the thyme, bay leaves, and tarragon and pour into a blender (you can also use an immersion blender if you have it). Blend until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve/strainer back into the pot over medium low heat. Press everything through the sieve to get as much liquid as possible.
  • Add heavy cream and continue to cook until desired texture is reached (this was about 15 minutes for me but I like my bisque really thick so cook until it's the consistency you prefer). 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream
  • Stir in lemon juice and taste for salt and pepper. Adjust as needed. Stir in about half of the cooked lobster chunks and remove from heat. 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • Pour the soup into serving bowls and garnish with the remainder of the lobster. I like to top with a drizzle of extra cream and fresh dill and a dash of old bay (totally optional but highly recommended). Optional toppings: fresh dill, additional drizzle of cream, and a dash of Old Bay Seasoning

Notes

  • Don’t Overcook the Lobster. Sauté it just until opaque, then pull it out. It will finish warming in the cream later. Overcooked lobster turns rubbery fast and we do not play that game.
  • Sweat, Don’t Brown, the Aromatics: Keep the heat moderate when cooking the shallots, carrots, and celery. You want them soft and sweet, not browned. Browning shifts the flavor profile too savory and muddy.
  • Deglaze Properly: When you add wine and brandy, scrape every browned bit from the bottom of the pot. That’s pure flavor! Leaving it behind is basically leaving money on the table.
  • If it’s too thin, simmer gently to reduce. If it’s too thick, thin with warm stock (never water) so you don’t dilute flavor.
  • Let It Rest Before Serving: Bisque tastes even better after sitting for 20–30 minutes off heat. The flavors settle and deepen, and the texture thickens slightly.

Nutrition

Calories: 469kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 880mg, Potassium: 440mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1505IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 158mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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