Creamy Shrimp & Crab Seafood Bisque

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 15 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 4 servings

If you’re a purist, you know that a true bisque is a seafood soup, though it is often used to describe any creamy soup. This delicious seafood bisque is made with crab and shrimp. It’s super easy to prepare and cook for a weeknight meal because it’s ready in just 15 minutes.

Traditionally, a bisque is thickened with a paste made from the crustaceans’ shells. This recipe takes a different approach and uses a flour-based roux. It’s adaptable too; you can substitute another seafood or add a third, such as lobster, scallops, or firm, flaky fish.

Serve the seafood bisque with freshly baked biscuits or crusty bread. If it’s a lunch or main course soup, add your favorite salad.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons chopped celery
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces cooked baby shrimp
8 ounces crabmeat
2 tablespoons sherry wine
3 tablespoons chopped parsley, cilantro, and/or green onion tops

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium-low heat; add the chopped green onion and celery. Sauté, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes.
Blend the flour into the butter and vegetables until well incorporated. Continue cooking, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
Warm the milk in another saucepan over medium heat.
Slowly stir the warmed milk into the butter and vegetables. Continue cooking, stirring until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Add the freshly ground black pepper, tomato paste, and heavy cream.
If desired, puree the soup in a blender or food processor at this point and then return it to the saucepan.
Stir in the shrimp, crab, and sherry. Bring it to a simmer.
Serve hot, garnished with parsley, cilantro, and/or chopped green onion tops.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere and/or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up and puree in small batches. Vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tips

When making the roux, the goal is to heat the milk so it’s about the same temperature as the flour-thickened butter mixture. If either element is too cool or hot, the roux may be lumpy or separate.
Sherry is a wine fortified with brandy. Dry sherry is a good choice for this recipe. After sherry is opened, it should be stored in the refrigerator.

Recipe Variations

Use small, cooked bay scallops or lobster instead of shrimp.
Replace the green onions with finely chopped shallots.
If desired, add a spoonful of sour cream to each bowl of bisque and swirl it in.

How to Store and Freeze

The bisque will keep in the fridge, covered, for three to four days. To freeze, cool the soup and transfer to covered, freezer-safe, airtight containers. Date and label them and freeze for up to six months. Defrost the bisque in the fridge and reheat gently over low heat to prevent it from getting too grainy and/or curdling. Stir well.

Why Is It Called “Bisque”?

The origin of the word "bisque" is not clear. It might be derived from Biscay, as in the Bay of Biscay, a gulf that lies off Europe's west coast, bordering western France and northern Spain.

What’s the Difference Between Seafood Bisque and Chowder?

Bisque and chowder are two popular styles of creamy soup that most often feature seafood or fish, though vegetables are popular alternatives for both. The primary difference is that a bisque is smooth and includes cooking wine, while chowder is chunky and incorporates hearty ingredients like potatoes.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	501
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35g	44%
Saturated Fat 21g	107%
Cholesterol 277mg	92%
Sodium 902mg	39%
Total Carbohydrate 16g	6%
Dietary Fiber 1g	2%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 31g
Vitamin C 5mg	23%
Calcium 340mg	26%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 601mg	13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.