Lobster Bisque Soup

5 stars (3 reviews)

My elevated but approachable version of a classic lobster bisque soup includes a fabulous seafood stock, lumps of fresh lobster, rich cream and a touch of white wine for amazing flavor and the most silky smooth texture. It's a decidedly decadent lobster bisque recipe that's perfect to impress dinner guests!

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Seafood, Soup

Cuisine: American, French

Servings: - 6 Servings

Calories: 528kcal

Author: Sommer Collier

Ingredients

For the Lobster Stock -

64 ounces seafood stock 2 – 32oz containers
6 cups water
16 ounces raw lobster tails 4 – 4oz or 2 whole 1 lb lobsters
2 shallots cut into wedges (leave peels on!)
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrots
4-6 cloves garlic smashed
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon 1 tsp dried tarragon

For the Lobster Bisque -

4 tablespoon butter
4 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine or dry sherry!
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups homemade lobster stock
1 cup heavy cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut the shallots into wedges, leaving the peels on. (When making stock even the peels offer a lot of flavor.) Roughly chop the celery and carrots, and smash the garlic cloves. The peels can be left on the garlic or removed.
Set out a large 6-8 quart stock pot and place it over medium heat. Place the lobster tails (or whole lobsters), shallots, celery, carrots, garlic cloves, bay leaf, and tarragon in the pot. Pour the seafood stock and water over the top.
Cover and bring to a simmer. Once the broth starts to simmer, set a timer for 5 minutes. Then remove the lobster with tongs and allow the stock to keep simmering.
Use kitchen shears to cut the top shell of each lobster tail and gently pull out the meat. Place the meat on a cutting board and throw the shells back into the lobster stock. *If using whole lobsters, break off the tails, claws, and knuckles. Throw the lobster cavity back in the stock. Then remove the lobster meat from the tails and use lobster crackers to remove the meat from the knuckles and claws. Add all shells back to the pot.
Continue to let the lobster stock simmer with the shells and vegetables for another 45 minutes. It will reduce and thicken as it cooks. Meanwhile, chop the lobster meat in ½ inch chunks, and set aside.
Once the lobster stock has cooked for at least 50 minutes total, turn off the heat. Place a fine mesh sieve over a large 4-cup measuring pitcher. Carefully pour the broth through the sieve to remove all the shells and debris. The goal here is to have 4+ cups of good lobster stock. If you have a little less, add water up to the 4 cup mark.
Now rinse out the pot and set back over medium heat. Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, add the flour and whisk vigorously to break up any clumps. Whisk and cook the roux for 2-3 minutes, until a golden-brown color has formed, but be careful not to burn it!
Once the roux is golden brown, pour in the white wine to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Whisk vigorously. Add the tomato paste and homemade lobster stock. Whisk again to incorporate. Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes to thicken. Then add heavy cream and simmer for another 3-4 minutes to thicken.
Turn off the heat and add in the chopped lobster meat. *If you want your lobster bisque bowls to look fancy, you can ladel the bisque into bowls before adding the lobster meat. Then create a little clump of lobster meat in the center of each bowl. Garnish with fresh tarragon leaves or little chopped parsley and serve hot.

Video

Notes

Truly, it's best to enjoy bisque freshly prepared. Yes, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. But the consistency won't be the same, and the lobster is likely to get rubbery when reheated. If you do have leftovers, reheat them slowly in the microwave or on the stovetop on low heat. You can add a splash of cream or milk to thin it up slightly if needed.

Nutrition