Lobster Bisque Soup

This Lobster Bisque Recipe is made simple and easy with quick homemade lobster stock, big bites of lobster, and a creamy, luscious bisque thickened with sweet potatoes. For extra decadence saute the lobster in browned butter infused with garlic for the top. Perfect for a special dinner or the holiday table.

How do you spell love? – Piglet   You don’t spell it. You feel it. – Pooh 

This is The Best Lobster Bisque Recipe

Here’s a once-a-year kind of soup to whip out for special occasions like Christmas or Valentine’s Day: Simple Lobster Bisque. It’s rich and creamy with a beautiful complexity, a delicious little teaser for your special dinner, or hearty enough to be the main course.

What I like about this soup is that it is thickened with sweet potato rather than flour, not only adding a luscious texture but a few extra nutrients as well. It is made with lobster tails, for simpler shelling, and the shells become the base of the homemade lobster stock. Pretty straightforward and easy.

Lobster Bisque Recipe Ingredients

Tips: Sherry wine and tarragon create the classic French flavor, although white wine will work in a pinch. The sherry really does elevate it, though.  If dairy bothers your tummy, I’ve also made this with coconut milk, which works pretty well here too.

• Lobster – Fresh or frozen lobster tails, or buy lobster meat, already shelled.
• Lobster stock – You can make this with the shells. Or use clam juice and chicken stock.
• Veggies: Onions, celery, and sweet potatoes (or sub carrots)
• Sherry Wine (do not use vinegar) or substitute white wine- sherry elevates.
• Heavy Cream (or coconut milk)
• Fresh Herbs– for classic French flavor, use tarragon, chives or parsley or a combo!

How to make Lobster Bisque

Cook the lobster tails in 4-5 cups of salted water until bright red and slightly curled. You’ll want about 1.25 lbs of lobster tails. (Of course, you can cook a whole lobster if you prefer.

2. Strain the lobsters, saving the lobster water (this will be your stock), let the lobster tails cool. Split the lobsters down the underside of the tail using kitchen scissors.

3. Remove the lobster meat, carefully trying to keep it mostly intact. Some bigger pieces are nice here for garnishing. If you run into any red roe (eggs) make sure to keep this- it adds great flavor and vibrant color to the lobster bisque. Save the shells!

4. Break apart the lobster meat, saving a few bigger pieces for the top of the soup. Place the lobster meat in the fridge while you make the bisque.

5. Return the shells to the reserved water and simmer gently while you make the rest of the soup.

6. Sauté onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil until the onions are tender and fragrant.

7. Next, add the peeled, diced sweet potato. Cook 5 more minutes.

9. Saute the spices, and tomato paste.

10. Deglaze with Sherry, which will impart the best flavor and complexity here. Cook this off.

11. Pour in 3 cups of lobster stock. If you have less, add water to make up the difference.

12. Simmer gently until the sweet potatoes are nice and tender.

13. Blend this until very smooth using an immersion blender. Add 1/2 cup of cooked lobster (plus any roe) and blend this in too.

14. Then, add your choice of cream or coconut milk. I prefer the cream, but coconut milk is pretty good too.

15. For extra decadence, saute a few bigger pieces (or all) of the lobster tail in browned butter infused with garlic. Swirl some butter in a pan and brown it slightly until nutty and fragrant, along with a couple of cloves of smashed garlic and some chili flakes if you like.

16. Add the lobster pieces and saute for just a couple of minutes until nicely coated. Save bigger pieces for the top of the soup.

17. Place the smaller pieces into the soup, reserving a few vibrant red, big bites for garnishing.

Taste the soup and make adjustments- see recipe notes.

Divide among bowls. This makes 2-3 hearty portions or 4-6 small cups. Top with a few browned butter lobster pieces and garnish with tarragon, chives or parsley.

How to Store Lobster Bisque Soup

Lobster Bisque will keep up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Can You Freeze Lobster Bisque?

You can freeze lobster bisque for up to 3 months, but it may curdle slightly when reheated if you use cream. The coconut milk version freezes great. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

To Reheat

Reheat gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop in a sauce pan, stirring often. Do not bring to a boil, just simmer gently for a few seconds until soup reaches 145F.

Serving Lobster Bisque

Sprinkle with fresh tarragon, chives, and/or parsley. Serve the Lobster bisque with warm, toasty garlic bread to mop up all the goodness and love.

On the homefront: One of the most loving things we can do for our significant other, our family, or for ourselves is to give the gift of nourishment. It need not be overly fancy or even time-consuming. When made with love, even the humblest of meals is elevated.

It’s true, I’ve done tests. 😉 Back in our catering days, prepping for weddings, if my heart wasn’t in it, the food reflected this. If I were overly anxious or irritated, I could taste this in the food; it would have a bit of an edge. If I felt tired or sad, the food tasted lifeless. Once I even made “angry chicken”, which still makes me chuckle a bit. It truly was the angriest tasting thing!

The most important thing I learned from this is that when I shift down into my heart space while cooking and tap into the love that is always there, meals taste better. As cheesy as it sounds- perhaps love truly is the magic ingredient.

Whether you decide to go “all-out” this weekend, or keep it simple and sweet, cook from your heart. Remember why you love, who you love, and let yourself feel this for a few minutes. Cook from this place.

Wherever this finds you, I hope you have a happy Valentine’s Day weekend.
xoxo
Sylvia

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• Brazilian Fish Stew (Moqueca!)
• Simple Salmon Chowder
• Creamy Mushroom Soup
• Simple Authentic Cioppino Recipe
• Peruvian Seafood Stew with Cilantro Broth

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