Description

This Easy Creamy Crab and Shrimp Seafood Bisque is a rich, velvety soup loaded with tender shrimp, sweet crab meat, and warming seafood spices. Simple to make yet wonderfully indulgent, it’s the perfect cozy, restaurant-style dish to enjoy at home any night of the week.

Ingredients

Ingredient	Amount Needed
Lump crab meat	1 cup
Shrimp, chopped	1 cup
Butter	3 tbsp
Onion, diced	1 medium
Celery, diced	1 stalk
Garlic, minced	3 cloves
Tomato paste	2 tbsp
Heavy cream	1 cup
Seafood broth	3 cups
Flour or cornstarch	2 tbsp
Thyme	1 tsp
Bay leaf	1
Paprika	1 tsp
Cayenne	⅛ tsp (optional)
Salt & pepper	To taste

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Instructions

1. Sauté the Aromatics

Melt 3 tbsp butter in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the diced onion, celery, and garlic.
Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables soften and become fragrant.

2. Add Seasonings & Tomato Base

Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, paprika, cayenne (optional), salt, and pepper.
Let cook for 1–2 minutes to deepen the flavors.

3. Build the Bisque Base

Sprinkle the flour or cornstarch over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly.
Slowly pour in the seafood broth, whisking as you add to prevent lumps.
Add the bay leaf.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes to allow it to thicken.

4. Add Cream & Seafood

Reduce heat to low.
Stir in the heavy cream until the bisque becomes smooth and creamy.
Add the chopped shrimp and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through.

5. Add Crab & Finish

Gently fold in the lump crab meat.
Simmer for 2 more minutes to warm through—avoid over-stirring so the crab stays in nice chunks.
Remove the bay leaf.
Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

6. Serve

Ladle the bisque into warm bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of paprika, fresh herbs, or an extra spoonful of crab meat if desired.

Notes

Do not boil after adding cream. High heat can cause the bisque to separate; keep the heat low.
Use lump or claw crab. Lump crab gives larger, sweeter pieces, while claw adds a deeper seafood flavor.
Cornstarch makes a silkier bisque; flour makes it heartier. Choose based on your preferred texture.
Fresh shrimp shells can be simmered in the broth beforehand for a more intense seafood flavor.
For extra smoothness, blend the bisque before adding the seafood.
Add cayenne sparingly. A little brings warmth without overpowering the delicate seafood.
Taste before adding extra salt. Seafood broth and crab can be naturally salty.

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 25 min