Lobster bisque is made with a stock of lobster shells.

Our version is much more

streamlined and truly just as rich and delicious. The result is a velvety smooth bisque with big
chunks of lobster in every bite. It's decadent and so satisfying, and it comes together in just 1
hour! Here's how to nail it.

Build your flavors

This soup tastes super complex, but actually starts with pretty basic staple ingredients. The key
here is building flavors. Start by melting butter (salt or not, your choice!), then add
your mirepoix—a humble but fragrant mixture of finely chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Next,
stir in fragrant tomato paste and freshly minced garlic and let 'em cook briefly until just lightly
caramelized for a deeply satisfying addition of sweet and savory flavors. Sherry and fresh
seafood stock give the bisque a baseline of umami and a hint of sophistication, and thyme and
bay leaf get perfectly infused into the slow simmering mix.

Texture is key

The two main players here are flour and cream. When we sprinkle the flour into the veggie
mixture, we're basically creating a textured roux. Sprinkle in the flour evenly to avoid clumps,
and give it a few healthy, vigorous stirs to eliminate any dry pockets. Cook it for a minute so that
the flour absorbs some of the flavors already partying in the pot, then go ahead and slowly pour
in your stock and wine a 1/4 cup at time while continuing to stir. We're only using 2 tablespoons
flour here but a little goes a long way to create that thickened (but not gluey!) mouthfeel. Heavy
cream is our final shining star ingredient: to make a proper bisque, do not opt for lower-fat
substitutes! Cream is essential in lending the bisque that classic richness.

Stock up

Speaking of stock, let's get into it. Here, we use seafood stock to really amp up the lobster
flavor, but you could totally use vegetable or even chicken stock. Just be sure to choose one
that's low-sodium, as always, so you can control the salt level.

Grab the booze

This recipe has got 1 1/4 cups of dry white wine. However, if you happen to have some on hand,
replace 1/4 cup of the wine with sherry. Sherry is a fortified wine that adds an absolutely
delicious, savory kick to your soup. The flavor is similar to marsala.

Finishing touches

Once your soup has simmered and the flavors have melded, pick out and discard the spent herbs,
and puree it. Bust out your immersion blender or pour into a blender. You want the soup to be
completely smooth. Then, pour it back into your pot and stir in the heavy cream and lobster. You
basically just want to warm those things through, so bring to a simmer and then serve
immediately garnished with fresh chives. 
Lobster bisque options 

Obsessed with bisque but don't have lobster on hand? Although you'll be missing out on that
characteristic lobster texture, you can totally substitute in shrimp or even a tender white fish like
tilapia or cod. If you love seafood flavors in creamy soups, we highly recommend you give
this crab bisque a try!

If you've made this recipe, we'd love to hear from you—leave us a comment and rating down
below!

Yields: 4 servings
Prep Time: 0 hours 10 mins
Total Time: 1 hour 0 mins
Ingredients
4 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped

Ksher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 c. seafood or fish stock
1 1/4 c. dry white wine
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 lb. cooked lobster meat, chopped

Finely chopped chives, for serving

1. In a large, heavy pot over medium heat, heat butter. Add onion, carrots, and celery and
cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in garlic and
tomato paste. Cook until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste coats vegetables, about 2
minutes. Sprinkle over flour and cook, 1 minute more.
2. Pour in seafood stock and wine, then stir in bay leaf and thyme. Reduce heat and let
simmer until liquid is reduced and flavors meld, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaf and thyme and purée with an immersion blender until very smooth.
Return to medium-low heat and stir in heavy cream and lobster meat, cooking just until
warm, about 5 minutes.
4. Garnish with chives before serving.