This crab bisque is a rich, silky, restaurant-style creamy crab soup you can make at home in about 45 minutes. It’s packed with sweet lump crab meat, a touch of tomato, and a splash of sherry for that classic she crab soup flavor.
Prep
10 min
Cook
35 min
Total
45 min
Servings
4 servings
Optional — the recipe works without them.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are very soft and the onions look translucent and slightly golden at the edges. Add the garlic and cook 30–60 seconds, just until fragrant.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until everything is coated and forms a thick paste. Cook 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the flour smells nutty and loses its raw scent but does not brown deeply. Stir in the tomato paste, Old Bay, paprika, and cayenne; cook 1–2 minutes more. The mixture should be brick red and glossy.
Slowly pour in the seafood stock while whisking, breaking up any lumps. Add the bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup base has thickened slightly and the vegetables are very tender.
Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until completely smooth and velvety, with no visible chunks of vegetables. If using a countertop blender, carefully blend in batches and return the soup to the pot. The base should coat the back of a spoon.
Stir in the heavy cream and ¼ cup of the sherry. Bring back to a very gentle simmer, then add the crab meat. Simmer on low heat 5–7 minutes, just until the crab is heated through and the bisque looks slightly thickened and silky. Avoid boiling hard so the cream doesn’t separate and the crab stays tender.
Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice, then taste. Adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon as needed. If you’d like a stronger sherry flavor, stir in up to 1–2 more tablespoons at the end. The finished crab bisque should taste rich, sweet from the crab, and lightly bright from the lemon.
Ladle the hot crab bisque into warm bowls. Top with a spoonful of extra lump crab, a drizzle of cream or olive oil, and a sprinkle of chives or parsley and Old Bay. Serve right away while steaming and fragrant.
Used in this recipe: Immersion Blender Enameled Dutch Oven (Amazon, affiliate links)
460 kcal
Calories