Is there anything more luxurious, comforting, and delicious than this gorgeous bowl of culinary greatness?
If you are a lobster fan, then you will love this bisque. It’s one of those special occasion dishes. The perfect lead into a perfectly cooked steak, lobster tails, and French fondant potatoes. We show you all the classic techniques to make this beloved soup at home.
How To Make Lobster Bisque
The Ingredients You Will Need
As you might guess, this isn’t a super inexpensive dish to put together. Lobster can be pricey, but, you have options. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:
Lobster – Here is where you have options: You need about 2 lbs of lobster meat. From 2 live lobsters, 2 steamed lobsters, frozen (or fresh) lobster tails, or frozen (or fresh) packaged lobster meat. We order our lobster from MaineLobsterNow.com. See NOTES for more information.
Butter – Unsalted.
Brandy – You will use this to flambé the lobster. This means lighting the alcohol and letting the flame burn out on the lobster. It infuses amazing flavor, however, if you don’t want to cook with alcohol, then omit it.
Fresh herbs – Parsley, thyme, and a bay leaf tied together with a string is perfect. Fresh is definitely best.
Cloves – Whole are best, not ground.
Fish stock – Homemade fish/shellfish stock is great, but store-bought is fine. Hopefully, you’ll have some lobster shells to simmer with the stock as you build the bisque.
Mirepoix – Onion, celery, and carrots. Roughly chopped.
Long grain rice – This makes a wonderful thickener.
Tomato paste – Adds a wonderful depth of flavor and color.
White wine – Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc are both great choices. A good Sherry is great, too.
Heavy cream – Half and half can be substituted, but, heavy cream (or double cream) is best.
Salt – Kosher is recommended.
EXPERT TIP: Sautéing the lobster parts (ie, cut-up steamed lobster or lobster tail) infused amazing lobster flavor into the butter then will be used to sauté the vegetables and rice. This adds an amazing depth of lobster flavor.
Tips for Making Perfect Lobster Bisque
Utilize Fresh Lobster for a Rich Flavor
Quality Ingredients – For the best flavor, use fresh lobster. If fresh is not available, high-quality frozen lobster can work as well. Reserve the shells after cooking the lobster to enhance the broth’s flavor during the cooking process.
Sauté the Shells – Before adding liquid, sauté the lobster shells in butter or oil with aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery to release their flavors.
Create a Flavorful Base
Aromatics and Stock -Start by cooking diced onions, shallots, garlic, and other vegetables in butter until softened. Add in the sautéed lobster shells and then deglaze the pan with white wine to lift any flavorful bits from the bottom. Follow this with a good seafood or lobster stock to build a rich base.
Herbs and Seasonings – Incorporate fresh herbs like thyme, bay leaves, and a touch of cayenne or paprika for added depth.
Incorporate Long Grain Rice Wisely
Cooking the Rice – Add the long-grain rice to the simmering broth early in the cooking process. It should be cooked until tender, which will allow it to absorb flavors and break down, thickening the bisque naturally.
Blending for Smoothness – Once the rice is cooked, remove the bay leaves and use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree the soup until smooth. This will create a creamy texture without the need for heavy cream.
Finish with Cream and Lobster Meat
Adding Cream – After blending, stir in a splash of heavy cream for richness and a silky mouthfeel. Adjust the amount based on your preference for creaminess, but avoid overpowering the lobster flavor.
Incorporate Lobster Meat – Finally, add in the chopped lobster meat and heat gently until just warmed through. This ensures the lobster remains tender and flavorful. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.
EXPERT TIP: It may seem strange to add long-grain rice to the vegetables as they sauté. Once you purée everything, the rice acts as a natural thickener. Not too much, just the perfect consistency for bisque.
How To Serve
The bisque can be made up to 24 hours in advance of serving. Simply gently reheat on the stove until simmering and then serve.
Be sure to save plenty of the cooked lobster meat for garnishing the final dish.
We recommend serving the bisque in shallow bowls, but a standard soup cup will work, too. If desired, you can serve the bisque with oyster crackers on the side.
The bisque is definitely best served warm. Not scalding, but plenty warm.
EXPERT TIP: You can purée the mixture with an emulsion blender or a blender. We’ve done both. The immersion blender is convenient, but puréing gets the texture very smooth. Passing the bisque through a sieve isn’t 100% necessary, but, it gives you a very silky finish.
Other Amazing Soup Recipes to Try
Soup is just so versatile. It’s great for a comforting lunch all by itself, or alongside a sandwich or salad. But, it can be an amazing way to start a special dinner, too. Here is a collection of some of favorite soups and stews that we are sure you will love, too.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Creamy Tortellini with Spinach and Sausage
- Chilled Carrot and Ginger Soup
- French Onion Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Best-Ever Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Brunswick Stew
- German Smoked Ham and Kale Soup
- Classic Minestrone Soup
- New England Clam Chowder
- Portuguese-Style Clam Chowder
These are all amazing in their own right. But, in the meantime, isn’t this gorgeous bisque your name:
How To Store
Because there is not a lot of cream in the bisque, it can be frozen for a couple of months.
Allow to thaw completely and then gently reheat over medium heat on the stove.
Though the bisque is best served fresh, you will still enjoy a nice bowl of it, even if it’s been frozen.
Fresh will keep in the refrigerator in a container with a tight lid for up to 5 days.
This bisque is so good, that we can honestly say it is “restaurant-quality.” We’ve even had guests say it’s the best they ever had.
It takes a little effort, and, as mentioned, lobster is not cheap, but for a special occasion, it just doesn’t get much better.
Remember, it can be made in advance and then reheated before serving. Your guests will be blown away by how good it is. It’s seriously that delicious.
Every spoonful is lobster heaven.
Ready to make the best bisque this side of the Maine coast? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Lobster Bisque
Video
Equipment
- 1 large skillet (12") or large stew pot with a lid
- Blender or immersion blender (or both)
- Sieve for straining
Ingredients
- 6 sprigs fresh parsley
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups fish stock plus more if needed
- 4 lobster tails see NOTES
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 1 lb lobster meat cooked and roughly chopped, see NOTES
- ¼ cup brandy
- 3 shallots chopped
- 1½ cup carrots 3 medium, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 celery stalks roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ½ cup long-grain rice
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 cups dry white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni. In a pot, bring the seafood stock to a simmer over medium heat.6 sprigs fresh parsley, 6 sprigs fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, 8 cups fish stock
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lobster tails and cook, turning once or twice, until bright red. Cover and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.6 tablespoon butter, 4 lobster tails
- Turn off the heat and remove the tails from the skillet, pour the lobster-infused butter into a bowl, and set aside. Place lobster tails back into the skillet (with no heat on) and pour the brandy over them. Ignite with a match. When the flame subsides, transfer the tails to a plate, remove the meat, and add to the other reserved lobster meat. Set aside.¼ cup brandy
- Add the bouquet garni and lobster shells to the simmering stock and continue simmering while you prepare the bisque.
- Return the lobster-infused butter to the large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots, celery, onion, and rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the salt.3 shallots, 1½ cup carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1 medium onion, ½ cup long-grain rice, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, 1½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Add the wine, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 4 minutes. Strain the stock and then add to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the rice is fully cooked, about 15 minutes.2 cups dry white wine
- Meanwhile, dice half of the reserved lobster meat and save for garnish. Stir the remaining lobster meat into the stock and simmer for another 3 to 5 minutes.1 lb lobster meat
- Working in a couple of batches, carefully transfer the soup to a blender and purée until the mixture is very smooth and silky. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer into the cleaned-out skillet, pressing on the solids with the back of a spatula or spoon. Discard any solids that do not pass through. (This may take a little elbow grease).
- Gently reheat the bisque and whisk in the cream. See NOTES about consistency.½ cup heavy cream
- Divide the bisque among bowls and garnish with the reserved diced lobster meat. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Two 2-lbs live lobsters (How To Humanely Kill a Crustacean).
- Two steamed whole lobsters.
- 8 frozen (or fresh lobster tails).
- 4 lobster tails with 1 lb lobster meat (fresh or frozen). This is how we prepare our bisque.
- 2 lbs lobster meat (fresh or frozen). The only downside is you won't have any shells for the stock.
Nutrition
POST UPDATE: This was originally published in March 2018, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography and a fabulous new video in February, 2025!
Elizabeth Re says
Question about the cloves:. Garlic, correct? Do you add them with the onion, etc; or to the lobster butter?