This seafood bisque recipe is one of the most satisfying of all crab and shrimp dishes you can have. It is the perfect choice for a cold winter day or a refreshing meal for a weekend dinner. I love making twice as much to make sure there’s leftovers for a day or two.
What’s fantastic about this crab bisque is that you don’t need to use fresh crab or shrimp. That means no matter where you are, you can enjoy this creamy soup and feel like you’re on the New England coast.
So, what is this seafood bisque? The soup is made with rich flavors and lots of seasoning. You can make it with other seafoods if you like, or for something that’s very different, replace the crab with your favorite hearty veggies. Take the time to incorporate ingredients that you love.
A traditional bisque is a “twice-cooked” soup. You will cook the base of this dish first, and then cook it a second time when you have added all of the ingredients. It’s not a complex recipe, but it is going to make you feel like you’re enjoying a Five-star restaurant meal. Seriously, this bisque seafood dinner is fantastic!
So, if you want a creamy soup that’s rich in flavor, this is the recipe for you. This is the best crab and shrimp seafood bisque you’ll find.
Why
- This is an easy recipe to make, but it absolutely feels like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen preparing it.
- This crab bisque has ample flavor with the seasonings, but everything you need is probably already in your spice cabinet.
- Make a double batch – it’s easy to store it and use it for a second meal the next day or two.
- This creamy soup can be versatile. Add in the veggies that you have in your fridge to make it your own.
Ingredient notes
- Butter. The truth is, you absolutely need a good quality butter. Choose a salted variety to add to the depth of variety. If you don’t have salted butter, add a pinch of kosher salt to the recipe.
- Heavy whipping cream and whole milk: You cannot substitute for lower-calorie or lower-fat content. Using both, rather than just one, creates the creamy soup you’re craving. If you’re okay with less creamy, you can use half and half here instead of the heavy cream.
- Shrimp and crab meat. The flavor comes from the freshness of these ingredients. A canned lump crab is typically the best option, but you can use frozen if you have it. For shrimp, don’t choose pieces that are too large. Smaller works better to keep it bite-sized.
- Old Bay. This is another must for any seafood recipe. It’s always a good idea to check the date on your spices to make sure they’re still fresh.
How to make
This recipe starts with just a few simple but must-follow tips. Once your butter melts in the pan, add the green onion and celery to the pan. Allow these to cool on a low to medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes. Don’t let them get brown.
After that, you can then add in the flour. This is where you’ll need to start working to flour into the butter to blend it. You want to allow this to cook a bit to get rid of the raw flour flavor. After that comes together, start adding your warmed milk. That’s the key secret to this recipe. It needs to be warmed before you actually add it to your recipe. Allow your creams to come together and keep whisking. It will thicken within a few minutes.
Once all of these steps are done, you will add in the tomato paste and Old Bay seasoning. Allow it to come together for about 10 minutes at this point. You can keep whisking to help it blend. Once that happens, add in your shrimp and crab and fold them in easily. It only takes about 30 minutes to bring it all together.
Tips
- Keep the cooking process slow and low. If you bring the soup up to a boil, you’ll have difficulty getting the fat to remain creamy. You don’t want the cream to separate. Low and slow is going to be critical to developing the flavors.
- Add salt sparingly at first. Pull back on it and add a bit more spice with some red pepper flakes to add more zing. Remember that Old Bay tends to be pretty salty, unless you choose a lower-sodium option.
- Make sure you whisk it well. You don’t want clumps to develop due to the flour and butter combining. You’ll also find that using warmed milk is better. If you put milk in that’s cold, it’s going to lack consistency.
- Allow it to come together for about 10 minutes before finishing it off. You definitely want to give it enough time to meld before you serve it.
Storage
You can store this shrimp chowder recipe easily in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. Make sure you put it in an airtight container. You’ll want to store it in the back of the fridge to keep it at temperature.
Once you’re ready to serve it, make sure you heat it thoroughly. I prefer doing this in a saucepan on the stove, but you can use the microwave. Reheat until everything comes together, knowing that you may need to stir frequently to allow that to happen. This rich bisque seafood dinner can be the perfect choice for several meals.
Serving
You really don’t need anything else besides a big bowl of soup. But, if you want to make this into a bigger meal, start with a salad with lots of fresh vegetables to offset the rich flavor of the creamy soup. It can be fantastic to serve this with a crusty bread or even a crusty bread bowl. If you don’t have a crusty bread, but if you want to enhance the flavor a bit more, consider making crab stuffed cheddar bay biscuits to go with it. Yum!
Faq
Can I add other seafood to this?
Make this your seafood bisque. You can make it all shrimp or all crab. Consider adding scallops to the mix or choosing your favorite seafood to include. You can also switch things up and make this with chicken instead of seafood, if you just want a creamy soup.
Is this seafood dinner hearty and filling?
It is definitely a filling meal, but that’s ultimately based on how well you make it that way. Consider adding more of the crab or shrimp, or adding roasted veggies to enhance the substance of this meal. You’ll find this is a rich bisque that’s totally customizable in that way. You can make it more like a seafood gumbo, too!
Can I make this just a shrimp chowder?
It’s definitely an option to make this recipe all shrimp. If I am not going to use crab, I will add several sizes of shrimp to offer some texture. I also find that replacing the crab with potatoes can help to create a heartier version if I don’t want to use crab in the mix.
Notes
You really don’t need to overthink this recipe. I find that there’s no extra special equipment or fancy ingredients. With Old Bay, you really have the right flavor profile to use. I really do like using a Dutch oven for this to help build flavors.
Delicious Crab and Shrimp Seafood Bisque
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. Butter
- ⅓ cup Celery finely chopped
- ⅓ cup Green onions finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp. All-purpose flour
- 2 cups Whole milk warmed
- 1 ½ cups Heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp. Tomato paste
- 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 8 oz. Cooked shrimp cut into bite-sized pieces
- 8 oz. Lump crab meat thoroughly drained
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or small Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the finely chopped celery and green onions. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes until they become tender and translucent. Do not let the vegetables brown.
- Sprinkle the all-purpose flour directly over the softened vegetables. Stir constantly for exactly 60 seconds to completely cook out the raw flour flavor and create a smooth, bubbling blond roux paste.
- Pour the whole milk into a microwave-safe container and heat for 60 to 90 seconds until warm to the touch. Pro Tip: This is a crucial temperature-matching step. Pouring ice-cold milk directly into a hot butter-flour roux will shock the fats, creating stubborn starch lumps. Introducing warm milk allows the roux to dissolve smoothly into a velvety liquid instantly.
- Whisk the warm milk into the saucepan in a steady stream until completely uniform. Add the heavy whipping cream, Old Bay seasoning, and the 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.
- Whisk aggressively for 1 minute until the dense tomato paste is fully dissolved, turning the milk matrix a uniform, classic light pink-orange color. Bring the liquid to a very low simmer—never allow it to reach a rapid boil, which can snap the dairy emulsion and cause the sauce to separate.
- Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring frequently with a flat-edged wooden spoon to prevent the starches from sticking and scorching on the bottom of the pot, until the soup thickens enough to coat the back of your spoon.
- The Residual Protein Steep: Turn the stove burner completely off. Gently fold the bite-sized shrimp pieces and the drained lump crab meat directly into the hot cream base. Immediately slide the pot off the hot burner, pop the lid on tight, and let it sit undisturbed for 3 minutes. Crucial: Seafood cooks incredibly fast. Allowing the crab and shrimp to heat through purely via the residual energy trapped in the thick bisque prevents them from seizing, ensuring the crab remains flakey and the shrimp stays tender instead of turning rubbery. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve hot.
