Lobster Bisque isn’t your average seafood soup—it’s pure luxury in a bowl. With its delicate sweetness, light brininess, and irresistibly velvety texture, this dish turns humble lobster tails into an elegant feast. Infused with garlic butter and a quick homemade stock, every bite is a symphony of bold, indulgent flavors. Ready in under an hour, this bisque strikes the perfect balance between simplicity and decadence.
Why This Lobster Bisque Is a Must-Try
Traditionally, Lobster Bisque involves a labor-intensive process using whole lobster shells for stock, but we’ve redefined the method without compromising flavor! Our recipe makes things easier by using a quick homemade stock, fresh aromatics, and perfectly balanced spices to deliver that signature richness without the hassle.
What sets this bisque apart? It’s the bold, intense flavors packed into every silky spoonful. Using lobster tails guarantees generous, tender chunks of meat, while the garlic butter infusion adds an extra layer of indulgence. Ready in under an hour, this dish is the epitome of elegance made effortless.
Velvety Lobster Bisque: Key Ingredients
The secret to this Lobster Bisque is in the ingredients. Sweet, tender lobster tails bring the luxury, while garlic butter and fresh cream create that silky richness. A touch of aromatic spices ties it all together for a bisque that’s bold, flavorful, and unforgettable!
- Lobster Tails: I always go for fresh, high-quality lobster tails to ensure the best flavor. Opt for cold-water lobster tails, known for their sweet and tender meat. This is the backbone of your bisque as well as this Broiled Lobster Tails, offering rich, succulent bites in every spoonful.
- Garlic Butter: Making your own garlic butter with fresh garlic and high-quality, unsalted butter can elevate the flavor significantly. Fresh garlic provides a robust aroma, while the butter adds a creamy richness that infuses the lobster meat.
- Lobster Stock: The secret to a truly flavorful bisque is in the stock. Making your own lobster stock from the shells is key. I simmer the shells with aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery to extract every bit of flavor. This homemade stock provides a robust and authentic lobster taste that store-bought stocks simply can’t match.
Note: Please see Recipe Card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to Lobster Bisque, adaptability is everything. Don’t have lobster tails? No problem—simple substitutions and creative tweaks can still deliver the creamy, rich flavor you love. This recipe is designed to work beautifully with what you have on hand!
- Spices: If you want to add a bit more depth, try adding a pinch of smoked paprika or a dash of Old Bay seasoning. These spices can elevate the bisque without altering its creamy texture.
- Lemon Zest: Add a pinch of lemon zest to brighten up the bisque. This subtle addition will enhance the overall aroma and flavor.
- Lobster Meat: Fresh lobster meat undeniably delivers the richest and most authentic flavor, but frozen or canned lobster meat can be used as a convenient alternative. Keep in mind, though, that these substitutes may not achieve the same depth of taste you’d expect from dishes like Grilled Lobster Tails.
- Clams or Shrimp: Both options are fantastic substitutions for this recipe. They bring their unique flavors to the bisque while maintaining its luxurious, seafood essence.
Perfect Lobster Bisque: Step-by-Step Guide
Preparing Lobster Bisque may seem daunting, but with these simple and clear steps, you’ll have a rich, flavorful dish ready in no time. Just follow along, and you’ll see how easy it can be to create this restaurant-quality bisque at home!
- Boil Water: Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil with a dash of sea salt.
- Cook Lobster Tails: Add those luscious lobster tails, cover, and boil until they turn a vibrant red.
- Remove Meat: Once the tails are cool enough, gently extract the meat and any juices.
- Simmer Shells: Return the shells to the pot, bring to a boil, then simmer to extract every bit of flavor. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate.
- Chop Meat: While the stock is simmering, chop the lobster meat into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate.
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat butter and oil. Sweat onions, carrots, celery, and herbs until soft. Season with bouillon, salt, and pepper. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
- Tomato Paste Magic: Stir in the tomato paste and cook briefly to coat the veggies. Sprinkle flour and cook, stirring now and then.
- Reduce Wine: Pour in wine, simmer, and let it reduce by half. Add the lobster stock and simmer until everything thickens and the flavors meld.
*Pro Tip: Sauté the tomato paste briefly to caramelize it and bring out its natural sugars, enhancing the overall flavor profile.
- Blend Bisque: Take it off the heat and blend until smooth. Return to the pot and stir in the heavy cream.
- Melt Butter: In a pan, melt butter and sauté garlic until aromatic.
- Cook Lobster Meat: Add chopped lobster meat, season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Lightly sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally, until warmed through.
- Mix and Serve: Stir in ¾ of the lobster meat into the bisque. Serve in bowls, topping each with the remaining lobster meat and a sprinkle of extra tarragon.
For a complete dinner, I’d recommend you pair my Lobster Bisque with some of my favorite sides and dishes to enhance your dining experience and make your meal truly memorable.
Consider starting with my Garlic Bread—it’s perfect for dipping into the bisque and soaking up every drop of that rich, creamy flavor. For a refreshing contrast, I like to serve it with a Salmon And Avocado Caesar Salad; its crisp greens and tangy dressing complement the bisque beautifully. If I’m in the mood for a bit more indulgence, I go for my Creamy Mashed Potatoes as a hearty side. To round off the meal, don’t forget to check out my decadent Fudgy Chocolate Brownie for a sweet finish.
Recipe FAQ’s
Refrigerate the soup in airtight containers for up to 2 days only! You don’t want to keep your lobster bisque refrigerated very long, as with most seafood. Reheat on low-medium heat.
We don’t recommend freezing lobster bisque.
Yes, you can prepare the lobster bisque a day in advance. Store it in the fridge and reheat it gently over low-medium heat before serving making sure it would not boil.
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Lobster Bisque Recipe
Ingredients
BISQUE
- 4 lobster tails
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon chopped, plus more to serve
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour or plain flour
- 1 ¼ cup dry white wine or sherry
- 4 cups lobster stock or seafood or fish stock
- ¾ – 1 cup heavy cream
GARLIC BUTTER LOBSTER MEAT
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne to taste
Instructions
LOBSTER STOCK
- Fill a large pot with 5 cups of water. Stir in 1 teaspoon sea salt and bring to a boil.
- Add the lobster tails, cover with lid and let boil for 5 minutes, or until bright red.
- Remove lobster tails, reserving the liquid stock. When the lobsters have cooled slightly, remove the meat from the shells, reserving the meat and any liquid that comes out of the shells.
- Return lobster shells back to the water in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for a further 15 minutes to draw as much flavour out of the shells as possible.
- While stock is simmering, chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate.
BISQUE
- Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat, Sweat the onions, carrots, celery and fresh herbs. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with the bouillon powder, salt and pepper/s. Stir in 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Mix in tomato paste, cook for a further minute to coat vegetables. Sprinkle over flour and cook, while stirring occasionally for a further 2 minutes.
- Pour in wine, simmer and let reduce to half. Stir in lobster stock, reduce heat and gently simmer while stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened slightly and flavours have blended, about 30 minutes.
- Take off the heat, transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, purée with an immersion blender until very smooth. Return to medium-low heat and stir in heavy cream.
GARLIC BUTTER LOBSTER MEAT
- Melt butter a skillet pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add in chopped lobster meat, season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Lightly sauté for 1 minute while stirring occasionally, until lobster meat is just warmed through.
TO SERVE LOBSTER BISQUE
- Mix ¾ of the lobster meat into the bisque. Pour into individual serving bowls. Top each bowl with remaining lobster meat and extra tarragon.
Notes
TO REMOVE LOBSTER MEAT:
- Place lobster tail on your counter with the back of the tail facing up. Use sharp kitchen shears to cut down through the centre to the end of the tail. With your thumbs and fingers, open the shell to loosen it from the meat, opening the meat away from the shell side walls. Pull the meat up from the bottom of the shell to seperate the shell from the meat underneath it.
- Alternatively, use both hands to press down on tail to crack shell. Hold tail, shell facing down, and pull back on both sides of shell to crack open and remove meat.
Ashley says
Fabulous! I cook all the time and this is one of the best things I’ve ever made! Wanted to provide some info to help others feel more at ease making it. My store did not have bouillon powder so I substituted 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon chicken base. I don’t use black pepper in anything I cook so I didn’t put it in this bisque. Followed everything else exactly. My lobster tails (four tails) weighed 1.35 pounds total. Next time, I’ll try to find a large lobster tail to make the process go faster with removing it from the shell. I used fresh tarragon and thyme, but I’ll use dried tarragon next time. It doesn’t taste any different to me fresh vs dried. I will use fresh thyme, though, because it tastes better fresh, in my opinion. I used Sequoia Grove Chardonnay for this recipe. I strongly suggest using a Chardonnay of equal quality as opposed to a Sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio. The bisque was perfect! Next time, I will increase the flour by 50% to make it just a bit thicker.
Libby says
My husband made this recipe over a year ago when he was catering an event and needed a second use for lobster tails to go with surf and turf. He brought me the leftover bisque and I’ve been wanting him to make this again ever since I tasted it.
He made it this week for my birthday and it was even better than I remembered. Now I can’t get it out of my head!
Unfortunately lobster is out of my price range for a weeknight supper, so today I bought some affordable shell-on shrimp and frozen seafood mix, and I’m going to follow the recipe but use the shrimp shells for the fish stock, and cook the seafood mix in garlic butter to add to the bisque after I puree it. I am so excited to try it that way. Thank you for this excellent recipe!
Angela Harris says
This dish elevates any family gathering! We opted for a non-traditional Thanks giving meal and assigned my 12 year old to make this 1st course. It was a long process so I acted as her sous chef to prep the lobsters. Also you’ll have to take your time pureeing the mixture to ensure a smooth consistency. We used 1.5 onions instead of two because ours were very large. Next time I think we”ll use coconut cream to make it non dairy. Also, I thought the wine was a bit much upon 1st taste but my daughter taught me the power of patience and letting the alcohol reduce properly. It was excellent! The portion /ingredient conversions were excellent. This recipe is great!
Karina says
Hi Angela, I’m absolutely thrilled to hear that the dish elevated your non-traditional Thanksgiving meal and that your 12-year-old took the lead in preparing it! It sounds like a wonderful family collaboration. Your thoughtful adjustments and the idea of using coconut cream for a non-dairy version are fantastic. I’m also glad your daughter’s patience paid off with the wine reduction. Thank you for sharing your experience, and I’m delighted the recipe was a great success for your family gathering.
Christine says
Wow your 12-year-old was assigned to make the 1st course, I love it great ideal for my grandchildren.
Babs says
This was an amazing recipe! I have never made lobster bisque before but it is one of my all time favorite soups! This morning my husband asked me to make “lobster bisque “ so I was looking for a recipe that looked delicious and was easy… when I found the instructions for the quick lobster stock I thought lets try it! It did take me more time then was stated, but I wasn’t worried. I wanted to combine the flavors and bring it all together … and boy did it! I will make this again! Next time I will cut the recipe in half cuz it’s more than we can eat in one sitting. Thank you so much for the great recipe!
Patricia says
This recipe is absolutely AMAZING!!! I added a little bit of sugar. I also used only 2 lobster tails but added a can of crab meat. It turned out just like the high end restaurants. I’ll definitely be making this again… and again. Thank you!
Alicia Joos says
This was crazy good and my whole family loved it. I omitted the Cayenne cooking for little kids, although they ended up loving the modified recipe. I used Bristol cream, full-bodied Sherry. Immersion blender was not powerful enough to grind it to a very silky, smooth consistency, so I had to put it in the Vitamix, but it was well worth it.
Suzie Coe says
How big should the lobster tails be? In ounces? That makes all the difference as where I live you can get them all sizes.
Bonnie says
This was fabulous! I served this for Christmas Eve dinner and everyone raved about it. Thank you for a great recipe!
Millie says
Hi karina,
Could I make this the day before or at least the stock
Ty☺️
Millie
Betty says
I use Hondashi Japanese fish stock