Real crab meat is not cheap, honey, so if I’m putting it in a pot of bisque, I need to taste it in every spoonful. A good crab bisque should be silky and creamy, but it still needs to taste like CRAB. I’ve made enough soups over the years to know you can’t just pour heavy cream into a pot and call it a day. This recipe builds layers of flavor before the cream ever goes in, then finishes with tender crab meat for a rich, restaurant-style bisque you can make right at home.
After more than a decade of developing and sharing recipes, you know I got you! I've made this recipe countless times and my family always goes back for seconds and thirds! I love to sop this bisque up with my buttery Sweet Honey Cornbread.
Crab Bisque Ingredients
- Crab Meat: Get the real stuff. I'm talking real crab meat. Imitation crab meat doesn't work in a bisque recipe.
- Butter
- Flour
- Carrots
- Celery
- Onions
- Garlic
- Stock
- Milk/Heavy Cream
- Worcestershire Sauce: Swap it for soy sauce, fish sauce, or omit it if you like.
- Hot Sauce
- Old Bay Seasoning: Old Bay is a must when seasoning up some crab meat!
How to Make Creamy Crab Bisque
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot on medium heat and add butter.
- When melted, add in flour. This will create a roux.
- Add celery, onions, and carrots to the roux and stir.
- Add garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in seafood stock, heavy cream, milk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste and stir. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
- Use an immersion hand blender to puree and smooth out the soup. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup to a high-powered blender.
- Blend the soup until creamy and smooth. Add the crab meat to the pot.
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Creamy Crab Bisque Recipe
Want to save this recipe for later?
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ½ cup chopped onions
- 3 garlic cloves Minced
- 2 cups Seafood Stock Vegetable or chicken stock or broth will also work.
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup milk I use 2%.
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tablespoon hot sauce It does not make the bisque spicy, but omit if you wish.
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound lump crab meat
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or soup pot on medium heat and add the butter.4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- When melted, add the flour in stages in stir. You add it in stages to avoid clumping. This will create a roux.4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the celery, onions, and carrots to the roux and stir. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.½ cup chopped carrots, ½ cup chopped celery, ½ cup chopped onions
- Add the garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant.3 garlic cloves
- Pour in the seafood stock, heavy cream, milk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, Old Bay Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste and stir. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.2 cups Seafood Stock, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 cup milk , 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ tablespoon hot sauce , 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
- Use an immersion hand blender to puree and smooth out the soup. Alternatively, you can transfer the soup to a high powered blender. Be careful, it's hot.
- Blend the soup until creamy and smooth. Add the crab meat to the pot. I like to add half of the crab meat here. Stir and cook for a few minutes until fully combined and warm.1 pound lump crab meat
- Serve the soup and top the servings with the additional remaining crab meat.
Notes
- If you don't use a seafood stock, the bisque will not have a lot of seafood flavor. You can substitute any broth, expect the bisque to taste like what you used to substitute.
- 1 pound of crab meat will create a thick bisque filled with crab. Feel free to use less, if desired.
- Skim milk is extremely thin and will thin out the soup.
- You can substitute cream using any milk or half and half, but the consistency will not be the same. Milk and half and half are thinner in texture. Expect the soup to be thinner and less rich. Heavy cream is commonly used in bisque recipes to give the soup a rich and creamy texture.
- Feel free to add ½ cup of sherry to the recipe if you wish.
- If you prefer a tomato based bisque, add 15oz canned tomatoes when adding the broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Pro Tips
Crab bisque is a rich, creamy seafood soup made with tender crab meat, vegetables, cream, herbs, and spices. Everything comes together to create a smooth, silky broth with plenty of crab flavor in every spoonful.
It’s the type of soup you’ll usually see as a starter at a nice seafood restaurant, but honey, we can make that same rich and creamy goodness right at home.
Bisques are made to be smooth, thick, and with lots of cream. They are usually pureed to help thicken them up and smooth them out. Most bisques are made with seafood and often wine.
Soup is a more general term that can refer to a wide variety of brothy or creamy dishes made with vegetables, meat, or grains. Soups can be smooth or chunky, depending on the ingredients and cooking method, and they can be served hot or cold.
Seafood stock gives the bisque a rich, savory base and brings out the natural sweetness of the crab. I highly recommend using crab or seafood stock here. Water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth will. work, but may not give you the same depth of seafood flavor.
Seafood stock can be hard to find in stores, which is why I love making my own. My Homemade Seafood Stock is made by simmering shrimp, lobster, or crab shells with vegetables and herbs. If you use crab shells, even better. You’re building that crab flavor into the soup from the very beginning.
Don't use imitation crab. It doesn't taste anything like real crab meat. Imitation crab is typically made from surimi, which is processed white fish, and it doesn’t have the same flavor or texture as real crab. Since crab is the star of this soup, you’ll notice the difference.
Jumbo lump crab meat or lump crab meat is my go-to to use. You get nice chunks of crab throughout the soup. Claw meat and canned crab meat will also work.
You will need to use an immersion hand blender or a high-powered blender to smooth out the soup to help it thicken it up. This is what really makes the dish!
No, you don’t have to use Worcestershire sauce. It adds a little savory, tangy depth that helps balance the richness of the cream and butter, but the bisque will still work without it. For a substitute try soy sauce, fish sauce, or simply omit it.
Some crab bisques are served with tomato flavor, similar to some lobster bisque recipes. This version does not have tomato flavor, but feel free to add 15oz of diced tomatoes (when adding the broth) if you wish.
You can substitute cream using any milk or half and half, but the consistency will not be the same. Milk and half and half are thinner in texture. Expect the soup to be thinner and less rich. Heavy cream is commonly used in bisque recipes to give the soup a rich and creamy texture.
Leftover bisque can be stored tightly covered and sealed in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can freeze it, but keep in mind dairy and cream-based soups separate when frozen and reheated. The texture and flavor may change slightly.
Substitutions and Add-Ins
- Shrimp
- Lobster
- Bacon
- Parsley
- Chives
- Croutons
- Shredded Cheese
- Toasted Nuts
What to Serve with Crab Bisque
This is so warm and comforting, with a hearty bowl, I only need a light side like roasted brussels sprouts, air fryer garlic bread, Southern cooked cabbage, or Southern green beans and potatoes.
More Crab Recipes
Seafood Boil in a Bag
Grilled King Crab Legs
Grilled Snow Crab Legs
Smoked Lobster Tail
Smoked Crab Legs
Crab Quiche
Crab Cake Sandwich
Leanna says
I'm shocked this turned out!
staysnatched says
haha! It's so easy to make at home.
Adele Aiken says
Can this be made ahead of time? Frozen?
staysnatched says
Yes, if you freeze it you will notice separation when you go to reheat it.