Seafood Bisque Creamy French Soup (Printable)

Rich, creamy French soup with tender shrimp, scallops, and crab in a velvety smooth broth.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 7 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
02 - 5 oz scallops
03 - 5 oz lump crab meat

→ Aromatics

04 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
06 - 1 small carrot, finely chopped
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 1/4 cup dry white wine
09 - 4 cups seafood or fish stock
10 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
11 - 1 tbsp tomato paste

→ Seasonings

12 - 2 tbsp butter
13 - 2 tbsp olive oil
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
16 - 1 tsp paprika
17 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ To Finish

18 - 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
19 - 1 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped

# Directions:

01 - In a large saucepan, melt butter with olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Sauté until soft and fragrant, about 4–5 minutes.
02 - Stir in the tomato paste, cayenne, paprika, and bay leaf. Cook for another 2 minutes to develop flavors.
03 - Pour in the white wine and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
04 - Add the seafood or fish stock, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
05 - Add shrimp and scallops to the pot. Cook until just opaque, 3–4 minutes. Remove shrimp and scallops, chop coarsely, and set aside.
06 - Puree the soup with a hand blender or in batches in a blender until smooth.
07 - Return the soup to the pot. Stir in heavy cream, lemon juice, and chopped seafood (shrimp, scallops, and crab meat). Simmer 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste.
08 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh chives or parsley. Pairs well with crusty French bread and a chilled Sauvignon Blanc.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The velvety texture comes from properly pureed vegetables and cream reduction, not thickeners
  • You can customize the seafood based on what looks fresh at your market
  • The finished soup freezes beautifully for unexpected dinner guests
02 -
  • Overcooking the seafood makes it rubbery, so remove it the moment it turns opaque
  • Let the soup cool slightly before pureeing to avoid splattering hot liquid everywhere
  • The bisque thickens as it stands, so add splash of stock or cream when reheating leftovers
03 -
  • Sauté shrimp shells in butter before adding them to stock for deeper flavor
  • Strain the pureed soup through a fine mesh sieve for restaurant level smoothness

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