Seafood Bisque (Printable Version)

Rich, creamy French soup with tender seafood and delicate aromatics for elegant dining.

# What You Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 7 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 5 oz scallops
03 - 5 oz lump crab meat

→ Aromatics

04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
06 - 1 small carrot, finely chopped
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
09 - 4 cups seafood or fish stock
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 tbsp tomato paste

→ Seasonings

12 - 2 tbsp butter
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
16 - 1 tsp paprika
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ To Finish

18 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped

# How-To:

01 - Melt butter with olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant, about 4–5 minutes.
02 - Stir in tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, and bay leaf. Cook for another 2 minutes to develop flavors.
03 - Pour in white wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
04 - Add seafood or fish stock, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
05 - Add shrimp and scallops to the pot. Cook until just opaque, 3–4 minutes. Remove shrimp and scallops, chop coarsely, and set aside.
06 - Puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth, or blend in batches using a regular blender.
07 - Return soup to the pot. Stir in heavy cream, lemon juice, and chopped seafood (shrimp, scallops, and crab meat). Simmer for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh chives or parsley.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The velvety texture feels like an expensive restaurant meal but comes together in about an hour
  • Its endlessly adaptable to whatever fresh seafood looks best at the market
  • The gentle heat from cayenne and paprika sneaks up on you in the most wonderful way
02 -
  • Never blend hot soup with the lid completely tight or it may explode from steam pressure, leave that crack open
  • Overcooking the seafood makes it rubbery, remove it the moment it turns opaque
  • The bisque will thicken as it cools, so season when its hot but remember it will taste even better the next day
03 -
  • Make the base a day ahead and refrigerate, the flavors develop incredibly overnight
  • If the bisque seems too thick, add stock a tablespoon at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency

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