This delicious crab bisque is wonderfully rich and flavorful and will warm you from the inside out. Simple to make in one pot, it’s a hearty dish the whole family will love!
This is hands down one of my favorite seafood soup recipes! It’s pretty easy to throw together and makes one delicious bowl of soup.
This crab bisque is made with crab meat, heavy cream, sherry, fresh vegetables and seasonings
If you are looking for more delicious soup recipes, be sure to try my Beet Soup and Fish Soup.
How to make crab bisque
Gather your ingredients.
Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes.
Stir in the flour and allow it to cook for a few minutes.
Add canned tomatoes, seafood stock, sherry wine, bay leaves, and old bay. Bring to simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove bay leaves and blend the soup with an immersion blender or carefully blend in a blender until smooth.
Return pot to heat and stir in heavy cream and add crab meat.
Continue to heat for 3-5 minutes, until crab meat is heated through.
What is a bisque?
A bisque is a soup of French origin. It’s known to be smooth and creamy, hence the use of heavy cream. You can use milk instead of cream if you want to lessen the fat content, but it won’t be as creamy.
Can you make it ahead of time?
This crab bisque is a great make-ahead meal and will keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make the soup, let it cool, then transfer to an airtight container. You can reheat the soup gently on the stovetop to serve.
Can you freeze it?
Yes. If you have to freeze it, it’s best not to keep it frozen for more than a month. Reheat it on low and stir it well before and during heating so that the cream doesn’t separate.
What’s the best crab to use?
Traditionally, freshly picked Dungeness crab meat is used in this soup, but to make it more accessible, you can easily use tinned crab lump meat. The seafood stock (or clam juice) really boosts all those flavors so you don’t need to get fresh crab meat for this dish.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Make the soup in a heavy-bottomed pot. This will distribute the heat more evenly so you don’t get hotspots.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a stand blender. Transfer it to the blender in batches carefully as it will be very hot.
- Make this soup gluten free by using a 1:1 GF flour.
More Soup Recipes
- Easy Seafood Chowder
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Moroccan Spiced Soup
- Roasted Tomato Basil Soup
Crab Bisque
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 sweet onion, diced about 1 cup
- 1 celery stalk, diced about 1/2 cup
- 1 Tbsp garlic chopped, about 4 small cloves
- 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 14.5 Oz can fire roasted tomatoes undrained
- 2 cups seafood stock or clam juice
- 1/2 cup sherry cooking wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp old bay seasoning
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 lb crab lump meat
- 2 Tbsp chives for garnish
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and let it cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add tomatoes, seafood stock, sherry wine, bay leaves, and old bay. Bring to simmer and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove bay leaves and blend the soup with an immersion blender or carefully blend in a blender until smooth.
- Return pot to heat and Stir in heavy cream and add crab meat, Continue to heat for 3-5 minutes, until crab meat is heated through.
- Serve in bowls and top with chives.
Suggested Tools
Notes
- Make the soup in a heavy bottomed pan. This will distribute the heat more evenly so you don’t get hotspots.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a stand blender. Transfer it to the blender in batches carefully as it will be very hot.
- Make this soup gluten free by using a 1:1 GF flour.
