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Lobster Bisque

Lobster bisque is a velvety concoction of rich flavors and sumptuous lobster meat and has long been revered as a gourmet delicacy. But this recipe is prepared the old-fashioned way – in small batches, where every spoonful gets the attention it deserves, ensuring a delicious and exquisite taste experience.

A big black bowl and a smaller crock filled with the bisque with lots of lobster pieces on top along with bread in the back
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

This bisque is creamy, hearty, delicious, and chockful of lobster. Since hubby doesn’t enjoy lobster, I made this recipe as I usually do, with cream, which means I’ll be eating it all by my onesies.

This recipe is meant to be a small batch, but you can adjust the slider on the recipe card and make as much as you like.

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Here are some recipes I’ve made with summer-reminiscent foods: lobster casserole, crab cakes, crab dip, and crab-stuffed mushrooms.

And if you love seafood, take a look at my seafood fare.

Helpful
Tips
  • I’m using extra-virgin olive oil when I saute the vegetables, but you can use butter instead for an even richer flavor.
  • I didn’t have lobster stock, which I usually make with lobster shells. I only had one lobster this past summer, so I didn’t make any stock. I used my favorite seafood stock by the Bar Harbor brand.
  • ButcherBox, which is a subscription service that delivers a variety of meat and seafood to your home! You can customize both the boxes you receive and the frequency. Check them out.
  • I usually buy pre-cooked lobster, but ButcherBox has a wonderful cold cracked lobster, so I cooked it myself.
  • Even though lobster tails are so delicious, I do not use them in this bisque because I prefer to either eat it with melted butter or cut it up for lobster rolls.
  • I don’t use any tomato paste in this recipe as I’m not a fan of tomato-based seafood recipes.
  • The vegetables I love using with this bisque are shallots and celery because I like the simplicity of flavor. I’ve used chopped carrots before, but I don’t like how it changes the flavor profile.
  • If you can’t find shallots, you can substitute it with either Vidalia onion or yellow onion.
  • You can also substitute thyme instead of the tarragon, but it’s one of my favorite herbs. Try it this way to see what you think, you won’t be disappointed.
  • When I make the roux, I used spelt flour because I prefer it, but I’ve also made it with all-purpose white flour.
  • I use a white wine in this recipe. A good choice is either a pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc. I stay away from chardonnay since it’s a little sweet.
  • You can use light cream as I do, heavy cream, or half and half to thicken the roux.

How to cook raw lobster meat

I cook the lobster as the shallots, and celery is sauteing.

Fill a small saucepan with 3 inches of water, and two tablespoons of butter. Bring it to a boil and add the lobster meat. Lower to a simmer and cook for 4 – 5 minutes. I stand there and stir the mixture as it cooks.

A horizontal photo of a brown crock with the bisque in it with big pieces of lobster pieces on top
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

How to make lobster bisque

Pre-step

Gather a deep sauté pan, medium saucepan and whisk.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – Lobster meat, shallots, celery, garlic, salt, pepper, seafood stock, herbs, dry sherry, and white wine.

Lobster mean in plastic on a plate with celery, shallots, seafood stock, herbs, and sherry on a table
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Step two

Chop both the shallots and celery small and mince the garlic.

Step three

Heat the sauté pan on medium heat, and once it heats up, add olive oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the shallots and celery (A) and sauté for 10 minutes or until the shallots get translucent. (B)

Left - Overhead view of celery and shallots cut, and in a pan. Right - then sauteed with a wooden spatula in it
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Step four

Add 1/4 cup of dry sherry, and 1/4 cup white wine. (D) Let the mixture come to a full boil for 3 minutes, the liquid will reduce somewhat. As it reduces, I deglaze the pan for all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step five

Add the seafood stock and bring it back to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. (D)

Left: overhead view of sherry and wine added to the shallots and celery. Right: seafood stock added to the pan
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Step six

Add bay leaf, tarragon, dill, salt, and pepper. (E) Stir and let cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat under the pan.

Step seven

Time to make the roux. Add 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan. Turn the heat on medium. (F)

Left - herbs and bay leaf added to the pan with the broth and veggies. Right - butter being melted in a saucepan
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Step eight

Once the butter is almost melted, add the flour. (G)

(As I said, I used a spelt flour which will cause the butter flour mixture to be on the brown side, but it doesn’t change the taste or the color of the bisque much. You can use all purpose white flour instead.)

Step nine

Take a whisk and whisk the butter and flour until it combines and cook as you whisk for at least a minute.

Step ten

Add light cream. (H)

Left - flour added to the melted butter in a pan. Right - cream added to the roux once it was thickened
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Step eleven

Whisk until it thickens. This takes around 5 minutes. (I)

Step twelve

Transfer the roux from the saucepan into the pot of vegetables and broth. Use a rubber spatula to get all of it into the soup pan. Stir until it has mixed together. (J) Turn the heat to a simmer as you deal with the lobster (that should already be cooked).

Left - a whisk in the pan with thickened butter, flour, and cream. Right - the roux added to the bisque and stirred to combine
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Step Thirteen

This is 16 ounces of lobster meat looks like. (K)

Take as many choice pieces of lobster out and set them aside for garnish. Chop the rest in bite-sized pieces, and add to the bisque. (L) Stir in the chopped lobster.

Left - a white plate with cooked lobster meat on it. Right - chopped lobster meat added to the bisque
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Since this is a small batch recipe, I ladle some into the crock for me. And pour the rest into a bigger bowl as a reserve. I place the lobster I set aside for garnish in both bowls.

Isn’t that pretty?

A black bowl filled with the creamy bisque with lobster on top and a crock in the back with bread
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

Look at my bowl with my little plate of bread.

Two bowls of bisque on a napkin along with a spoon, and bread
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

So delicious.

Close up view of lobster on a bisque in a crock and bread in the background
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

I hope you enjoyed this lobster bisque recipe as much as I did eating it.

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

a crock with a handle filled with the bisque with lobster on top and bread in the back

Lobster Bisque

Delicious, hearty, and rich bisque that is thick and chockful of lobster.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Soup
Keyword: lobster bisque, lobster soup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 379kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 medium shallots (diced small)
  • 1 stalk celery (diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (crushed or minced)
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 3/4 cups seafood stock (you could substitute chicken broth if you can't find seafood stock.)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 16 ounces lobster (or more, I cooked my own, see notes on how)

Roux

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 4 tablespoons flour (I used spelt but you can use all-purpose white flour)
  • 1 cup light cream

Instructions

  • Heat a deep sauté pan on medium and once it heats up, add oil.
    2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Once the oil shimmers, add shallots, celery, and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
    3 medium shallots, 1 stalk celery, 2 cloves garlic
  • Add sherry, wine and bring to a boil. Use a wooden spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the brown bits.
    1/4 cup dry sherry, 1/4 cup white wine
  • Add seafood stock, bay leaf, tarragon, dill, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
    1 3/4 cups seafood stock, 1 bay leaf, 3/4 teaspoon dried tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon dried dill, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • IF you are cooking raw lobster – do so now, see notes on how. Pick out some prime pieces of lobster and set it aside. Chop the rest into bite-sized pieces.
    16 ounces lobster

Roux

  • Place saucepan on a burner and turn the heat on medium, add butter, and when it is almost melted, add flour. Whisk to combine and cook for at least 1 minute.
    4 tablespoons butter, 4 tablespoons flour
  • Add light cream and continue whisking until thickened (about 5 minutes).
    1 cup light cream
  • Turn heat back on broth mixture and add roux into it. Stir until combined and let it heat up for another few minutes. Add chopped lobster and stir. Turn the heat off under the pan.
  • Ladle the bisque into a few bowls and add the choice pieces of lobster to the bisque as garnish.
  • Eat
  • Smile
  • Enjoy
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Notes

How to cook raw lobster meat

I do this as the shallots, and celery is sauteing.

Fill a small saucepan with 3 inches of water, and two tablespoons of butter. Bring it to a boil and add the lobster meat. Lower to a simmer and cook for 4 – 5 minutes. I stand there and stir the mixture as it cooks.

Helpful tips

    • I’m using extra-virgin olive oil when I saute the vegetables, but you can use butter instead for an even richer flavor.
    • I didn’t have lobster stock, which I usually make with lobster shells. I only had one lobster this past summer, so I didn’t make any stock. I used my favorite seafood stock by the Bar Harbor brand.
    • ButcherBox is a subscription service that delivers a variety of meat and seafood to your home! You can customize both the boxes you receive and the frequency. Check them out.
    • I usually buy pre-cooked lobster, but ButcherBox has a wonderful cold cracked lobster, so I cooked it myself.
    • Even though lobster tails are so delicious, I do not use them in this bisque because I prefer to either eat it with melted butter or cut it up for lobster rolls.
    • I don’t use any tomato paste in this recipe as I’m not a fan of tomato-based seafood recipes.
    • The vegetables I love using with this bisque are shallots and celery because I like the simplicity of flavor. I’ve used chopped carrots before, but I don’t like how it changes the flavor profile.
    • If you can’t find shallots, you can substitute either Vidalia onion or yellow onion.
    • You can also substitute thyme instead of tarragon, but it’s one of my favorite herbs. Try it this way to see what you think, you won’t be disappointed.
    • When I make the roux, I used spelt flour because I prefer it, but I’ve also made it with all-purpose white flour.
    • I use a white wine in this recipe. A good choice is either a pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc. I stay away from chardonnay since it’s a little sweet.
  • You can use light cream as I do, heavy cream, or half and half to thicken the roux.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 182mg | Sodium: 789mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1375IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 2mg
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From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.

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26 Comments

  1. Unfortunately, I will have to share this wonderful bisque with my husband, since he loves lobster, as well! Lovely recipe, thank you! 🙂

  2. I feel like I haven’t had a lobster bisque in ages. Will definitely have to give this version a try as it sounds delicious!

  3. My dad absolutely loves lobster bisque but I’ve yet to try any. I will absolutely have to make this recipe for him so we can both share! and yes, send me all the summer vibes, I’m SO ready!

  4. My hubster came back from a business trip raving about the fantastic lobster bisque he ate at dinner one night. It made me so hangry that I’ve been surfing the web for lobster bisque recipes for a week. HOW DOES SOMEONE NOT LOVE LOBSTER?! I only WISH my hubs didn’t: then I wouldn’t have to share this and me and myself would be very, very happy. 😉

  5. This looks like one hearty dish. bisque is new for me. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  6. Can’t wait to try it, Lainey, but unfortunately here in NM we don’t have fresh lobster, so it might not be as good and won’t have claw meat in it…but…lobster is lobster. Yummmm.

    You asked about fave summer foods, how about a great lobster roll???

    1. Robin, yes. A good lobster roll is wonderful in the summer! I used frozen lobster, but still, I’m close to Maine so we get great lobster.

  7. That lobster bisque looks wonderful my dear Elaine, would need to double the recipe, my hubs loves it 😀

  8. I’ve never tried making lobster bisque before! My husband would love this! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

  9. Lobster Bisque is one of my favorite soups but I’ve actually never made it. Now I have no excuse!

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