Lobster Bisque Soup

Yield: 8 servings
Prep time: 10 mins
Total time: 45 mins

Ingredients

1 whole lobster, or 4-5 lobster tails
1 onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
4 cups (32oz) chicken or seafood stock
4-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup dry sherry (or another dry white wine)
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp black peppercorns
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp flour
3-4 sprigs thyme
Kosher salt
Chives for garnish
Saltine or oyster crackers, for garnish

Directions

  1. Cook lobster in your desired fashion (you can also get the lobster steamed at your grocery store). When cool enough to handle, remove all meat from the shells and set aside. If using lobster tails, you can remove the meat from the shell without having to cook it beforehand. 
  2. Place lobster shells and stock in a large stock pot. Add the sherry and peppercorns and bring to a simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. When done, place a strainer over another pot or large bowl in the sink, and carefully pour the broth into the pot through the strainer to catch any shells and bits. Set the broth aside.
  4. Give your original stockpot a quick rinse to rid of any possible shells or bits that might have been missed. Set on top of the stove over medium heat. Add the butter and heat until melted.
  5. Sauté onion, carrot, and celery in the butter until soft.
  6. Add in garlic and tomato paste and sauté until fragrant. Stir in flour and let cook for about 1 minute.
  7. Transfer the strained broth to the stockpot with the veggies and add in the thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Stir in the smoked paprika, old bay seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Salt to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
  8. Blend the soup until it is a smooth consistency. If you have an immersion blender, you can blend it in the pot. If not, you can also use a standard blender. Blend the soup in batches until smooth. Transfer the smooth soup back to the stockpot on the stove. 
  9. Bring the soup to a low simmer. Pour in the heavy cream, stirring to blend.
  10. Stir in lobster meat and simmer until warmed (or cooked) through—about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, garnishing with diced chives and oyster crackers, if desired.

Recipe Tips

  • Using a mesh bag or cheese cloth helps cooking; you can place your shells and peppercorns in and eliminate the need to strain the stock.
  • I used shrimp and lobster shells when making my seafood stock, which helped with flavor immensely. I save shrimp shells as I cook with shrimp, so I had some on hand.
  • You can use any shellfish in this recipe, such as crab or clams, in place of lobster.
  • If using a seafood stock, you can skip the step of simmering lobster shells in broth, if desired. It may however result in a less flavorful soup.
  • This dish can be made vegetarian friendly by using vegetable stock and skipping the lobsters.


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