Classic Creamy Seafood Bisque (Printable version)

Rich, creamy French bisque featuring shrimp, scallops, and crab in aromatic tomato-seasoned broth

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 7 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 5 oz scallops
03 - 5 oz lump crab meat

→ Aromatics

04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
06 - 1 small carrot, finely chopped
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
09 - 4 cups seafood or fish stock
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 tbsp tomato paste

→ Seasonings

12 - 2 tbsp butter
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
16 - 1 tsp paprika
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ To Finish

18 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped

# How to Prepare:

01 - In a large saucepan, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant, about 4–5 minutes.
02 - Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, and bay leaf. Cook for another 2 minutes.
03 - Pour in the white wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits.
04 - Add the seafood or fish stock, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
05 - Add shrimp and scallops to the pot. Cook until just opaque, 3–4 minutes. Remove shrimp and scallops, chop coarsely, and set aside.
06 - Puree the soup with a hand blender or in batches in a blender until smooth.
07 - Return the soup to the pot. Stir in heavy cream, lemon juice, and chopped seafood (shrimp, scallops, and crab meat). Simmer 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh chives or parsley.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • The texture rivals anything you'd order at a high end restaurant but comes together in about an hour
  • You can swap in whatever fresh seafood looks best at the market that day
  • Makes any weeknight dinner feel like a special occasion without the fuss
02 -
  • Never let the soup come to a rolling boil after adding the cream or it may separate
  • Overcooking the seafood makes it rubbery, so remove it the moment it turns opaque
  • Hot soup purees more smoothly than cold soup if using a traditional blender
03 -
  • Taste and adjust the seasonings after pureeing but before adding the cream
  • If the soup seems too thick after pureeing, thin it with a little more stock
  • Leftovers actually taste better the next day as flavors continue to develop

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