Lobster Bisque Recipe

Lobster bisque is a rich and creamy soup with massive lumps of sweet and buttery lobster tails.

It’s a delectable and addictive bisque that will surely get those taste buds tingling. Best of all, it’s surprisingly simple and takes less than an hour to whip up.

This velvety lobster bisque makes an excellent entree, the perfect portion for lunch, or a fancy dinner for two.

What Is Lobster Bisque?

Lobster bisque is a classic French soup. The word bisque literally means “a thick, creamy soup.” And that’s precisely what this dish is.

Typically, people make bisques by simmering crustaceans with herbs and seasonings. Then, they strain the liquid, simmer it again, and puree it.

This recipe for lobster bisque is a bit simpler. It requires no straining or pureeing but still ensures a maximum amount of flavor.

Lobster Bisque Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe:

• Chicken broth. This acts as the base for your soup.

• Onion. A common aromatic added to many soup recipes for flavor.

• Butter. For flavor and creaminess.

• Flour. Along with the butter, you’ll add flour to make a roux. This will help thicken your soup and make it creamy.

• Heavy whipping cream. Another key ingredient for thickness and creaminess.

• Tomato paste. The acidity in the tomatoes helps balance out the other ingredients. The tomatoey flavor also pairs really well with seafood.

• Salt. A flavor enhancer.

• Lobster meat. Your meat needs to be fully cooked and cubed before adding it to the recipe. An authentic lobster bisque cooks the lobster with the aromatics. However, our version is the quicker, easier version. Lobster tails are excellent.

• Worcestershire sauce. Just a single tablespoon of this hard-to-pronounce sauce will add a ton of flavor to your bisque.

• Cayenne pepper. For heat and spiciness.

How to Make Lobster Bisque

As mentioned, bisque is a French cooking technique that extracts flavors from crustaceans by simmering them.

Typically, lobster bisque has a flavorful stock made of lobster shells. But we came up with an easier and tasty alternative. Check out the recipe below:

1. Saute. Saute the onions and a fourth cup of chicken broth for 5 to 7 minutes on low heat. Set aside for later.

2. Make a roux. Melt the butter in a separate pot. Then, whisk in the flour until it forms a creamy roux.

3. Add the other ingredients. Pour in the rest of the chicken broth first. Whisk continually while pouring it.

Then, add the milk, salt, onions, lobster, Worcestershire, tomato paste, and cayenne.

Cook, stirring frequently, until right before the mixture starts to boil. Remove it from the heat before it boils.

Then, serve and enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

• Cook the lobster in garlic butter. Saute some garlic in melted butter over medium heat. Then, add the chunks of lobster tails and flavor with salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Saute the lobster just until heated through. Using this method makes it more flavorful.

• Steam the tails before removing the shell. It’s extremely hard to take out the meat when the lobster is raw. So, steam those tails for about 2-3 minutes. Then, put the cooked lobster tail on the counter, backside facing up. Cut down through the middle until the end of the tail with a pair of scissors. Then, using your fingers, break the shell apart to reveal the meat.

• Opt for frozen. When shopping for lobster tails, head to the frozen seafood section. Otherwise, you’ll have to keep fresh lobsters alive right until the moment you cook them. This means you’ll have to be the one to put them down. Frozen lobster tails are much simpler.

• If using fresh lobsters, select “cold” ones. These are lobsters from Maine, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. Unlike warm lobsters from Latin America, Caribbean, and Florida, these guys are tastier and are firmer yet more tender. 

• Supplement with shrimp. Lobster can be expensive, and you’ll need a whole pound. Use less lobster and add shrimp. It’s more affordable, and the shrimp gives the bisque an added layer of flavor.

• Highlight the seafood taste. Instead of chicken broth, use clam juice or shrimp stock. Either will help enhance the lobster flavor.

• Add a little wine. Give your bisque more flavor by deglazing it with a dry white wine, such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc. When choosing wine, it should be one that you enjoy. Reduce the wine into half and add it to your broth mixture. Let the soup simmer until thick, about 30 minutes.

• Longer is better. If you’re not in too much of a hurry, let the soup simmer on low heat for one hour to release all those wonderful flavors.

• Make it gluten-free. Simply use chickpea flour instead of all-purpose flour.

• Make it lighter. Use fat-free coconut milk instead of heavy whipping cream and add less salt. Instead of adding flour, blend the mixture with an immersion blender to thicken it. Ditch the butter as well. Don’t worry, these modifications will not take away all those mouth-watering flavors.

• Experiment with add-ins. Give your bisque a nice kick by flavoring it with curry, hot sauce, and your choice of herbs.

• Add mirepoix. If you aren’t familiar with it, mirepoix is a flavor base made from a combination of chopped celery, onion, and carrot. Saute this trio of veggies before adding the chicken stock to make an even more flavorful base.

• Manage your salt intake. Use low-sodium versus regular chicken stock for the soup. That way, you have complete control over how little or much sodium goes into the bisque.   

• Garnish with chives. They’ll add flavor and make the soup prettier.

How To Thicken Lobster Bisque

For this recipe, we’ll add a roux to thicken the bisque. Be sure to cook the flour with the butter first to form the roux, before mixing in the liquid ingredients.

However, there are other ways to make your bisque thicker. Try one of these if you want a thicker soup:

• Add a bit of tomato paste, heavy cream, or rice.
• Blend the mixture with an immersion blender before adding the lobster.

How Long Does Lobster Bisque Last in the Fridge?

Like many seafood dishes, it’s better to eat your lobster bisque as soon as possible. It will only keep fresh for up to 2 days in the fridge.

Be sure to let it cool to room temperature and store it in an airtight container before you refrigerate. To reheat, cook on low-medium heat until warm. 

Lobster bisque does not keep well in the freezer, so that’s not an option. But with this creamy bisque, my guess is that leftovers won’t be a problem.

You’re more likely to lick the bowl clean.