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A professional top-down shot of Seafood Bisque in a white bowl showing the thick orange-pink texture and fresh chive garnish.

Seafood Bisque: The Ultimate Creamy Restaurant-Style Recipe with Shrimp and Crab

An elegant Seafood Bisque featuring a velvety orange-pink broth, tender poached tail-on shrimp, and jumbo lump crab meat. Perfectly seasoned and finished with a silky cream drizzle and fresh chives.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 cups
Course: Dinner, Starter
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Seafood Bisque Ingredients
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter 56g
  • 1 cup Mirepoix 150g finely diced onion, celery, and carrots
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Paste 32g
  • 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour 24g
  • 1/4 cup Dry Sherry or Brandy 60ml
  • 4 cups Seafood Stock 960ml
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream 240ml, divided
  • 12 large Tail-On Shrimp approx 340g, peeled and deveined
  • 8 oz Lump White Crab Meat 225g
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Chives Finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Freshly cracked

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch Oven Heavy-bottomed for even simmering
  • 1 Immersion blender To achieve a smooth, velvety texture
  • 1 Fine-mesh Sieve Optional, for the most refined finish

Instructions
 

Prepare the Base
  1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven. Add mirepoix and sauté until soft (8-10 mins). Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 mins until rusty red.
  2. Stir in flour for 1 min. Deglaze with sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan. Gradually whisk in seafood stock.
Simmer and Purée
  1. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  2. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. Stir in 3/4 cup (180ml) of heavy cream.
Cook Seafood
  1. Add shrimp and poach for 3-4 minutes until opaque. Fold in most of the lump crab meat gently.
  2. Ladle into bowls. Drizzle with reserved cream, top with remaining crab, chives, and black pepper.

Notes

For the smoothest texture, pass the puréed soup through a fine-mesh sieve.
Always 'fry' your tomato paste to develop the deep orange color.
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