Luxe creamy rich soup filled with chunks of crab meat that’s thickened with rice. Top each bowl with fresh herbs and a quick whipped cream for a lush presentation. A combination of sautéed onions, celery, shallots, fresh herbs and spices simmered in a seafood broth with a generous amount of crab meat.

The coziest, perfect soup to make for the week. Studded with fresh herbs and crab meat and quick homemade whipped topping that blends beautifully into the soup as its enjoyed.

The key to good bisque is consistency, a good stock, and a generous amount of crab meat. We’re not talking about that fake stuff. Look for crab “meat” not imitation. Packaged similar to ready to eat lobster, you should be able to find it in the seafood section next to the lobster. Seafood that is labeled as “meat” means that it has already been shelled, prepped, and par-cooked so that it can be enjoyed right away once thawed, leaving you with far fewer steps. Many fish mongers/ fish sections of your local grocer also sell high-quality stock or clam broth that you can substitute if you don’t want to spend time making your own, which is what we’ve opted for in this recipe.

Once all the vegetables and rice have simmered together and the rice has puffed, transfer the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth a few minutes. The bisque should be thick enough to just coat the back of a spoon – not chunky. A traditional bisque is thickened with rice rather than a roux. When added to the blender it helps to keep the desired texture.

A bisque refers to a thick, creamy soup that is usually made with seafood and enriched with cream. Unlike a chowder, there are no potatoes or chunks of vegetables. Everything is pureed together until smooth.

We hope you enjoy this recipe! If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it on Instagram! We love to see what you come up with. #thecommunalfeast Follow along our social media account on instagram for quick videos on how our recipes come together!

Print Recipe

Crab bisque

Luxe creamy rich soup filled with chunks of crab meat that's thickened with rice. Top each bowl with fresh herbs and a quick whipped cream for a lush presentation.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Soups

Servings: 4

Author: the communal feast

Ingredients

• 2 TBS butter
• 1 large onion diced
• 3 celery ribs chopped
• 2 shallots chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 TBS fresh thyme removed from stem
• 1 TBS fresh dill
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1 TBS red chili flakes
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 TBS tomato paste
• 1 tsp cracked pepper
• 4 cups seafood stock or clam broth
• 3/4 cup long grain rice
• 1 cup heavy cream + more for topping
• 227 g ready to eat crab meat reserve a few pieces for topping
• garnish with extra herbs
• serve with side of lemon

Instructions

• Melt butter in large heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and celery until the onion becomes translucent and soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, shallots, herbs, and spices stirring to incorporate an additional minute.
• Add the tomato paste and stir to combine followed by the stock. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer. Stir in the rice and cook covered until the rice is soft, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves.
•  Transfer soup to a blender and process until very smooth. Repeat until all the mixture has been blended. Transfer back to the soup pot, and reheat over medium-low until hot. When ready to serve, Stir in the cream until well incorporate. Turn off the heat and mix in the crab meat.
• Place remaining cream in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
• Divide soup among bowls, top with whipped cream. reserved crab meat, and herbs. Season with pepper and additional chili flakes. Serve with lemon wedge.