Ever wanted to know how to make lobster bisque and what’s it made of? Check out this easy lobster bisque recipe which is creamy, delicious, and you’d never know is gluten-free, dairy-free, clean, and easily paleo-friendly!
For the longest time, I used to order lobster bisque at restaurants whenever I saw it on the menu. This was back in my “pre-clean” days so I didn’t really think then much about the amount of butter, cream, or flour that might have been in the bisque.
All I knew was that it was rich, creamy, and delicious.
MY LATEST VIDEOSI never really thought that I should just try to make my own lobster bisque at home because there was just something about it that seemed so elaborate, so fancy. Like it could only be made at a fancy restaurant.
Silly me.
Lobster bisque is actually very EASY to make. In fact, you’re not gonna believe just how easy it is to make tasty, luscious lobster bisque at home — and without the hefty price tag at a fancy pants restaurant.
How To Make Lobster Bisque
The basics behind lobster bisque is that you need to cook the aromatics, like onion, shallot, and garlic first, then add a little flour to thicken, add some liquid, and then blend it all together.
It’s really that simple.
What I found is the best way to make lobster bisque is to make my own lobster stock to use as the liquid.
Please don’t freak out by this idea – here me out.
In order to cook the lobster, you’re going to boil a pot of water. So, that water is the beginning of our stock.
Once the lobster is cooked and you remove the flesh from the shell, just toss the emptied lobster shells back into the pot and boil for another 10 minutes to get your stock.
See? Super easy! Trust me – this will make a huge difference in the final flavor of your lobster bisque.
How To Thicken Lobster Bisque
The usual way to thicken lobster bisque is to use flour. When you’re cooking the onion and garlic, you then add flour and a little liquid (usually wine, chicken broth, or lobster stock), and make what’s called a roux which is essentially a creamy flour mixture that is used to thicken your bisque.
Instead, in this lobster bisque recipe, I use chickpea flour instead of all-purpose flour (which is what’s usually used in lobster bisque recipes). The chickpea flour works perfectly and makes it so this lobster bisque is gluten-free and refined flour free.
The other way to thicken lobster bisque is by blending it. Once everything is cooked and tender, just add everything to a blender and blend until smooth. You could also use an immersion blender right in the pan. Just make sure to not have the lobster in the soup yet so you don’t also blend in all that tasty lobster (unless you want to!).Personally, I like to have large chunks of lobster in my lobster bisque.
Is Lobster Bisque Good For You?
The short answer for most lobster bisque is, sadly, not really. Most lobster bisques served in restaurants are filled with butter and cream. This makes them sinfully indulgent and fine to enjoy on occasion, but not really that good for you.
In order to lighten up this easy lobster bisque recipe, I make a few changes so I could enjoy it more often while still maintaining my healthy lifestyle.
Here’s how to make lobster bisque healthier:
- Replace all-purpose flour with chickpea flour
- Replace heavy cream with full fat coconut milk
- Remove the butter
- Blend to thicken, rather than add even more flour
- Reduce sodium by removing a lot of the salt
- Replace they sherry with dry white wine and low sodium chicken broth
All in all, the flavors of this healthier lobster bisque recipe are amazing and you don’t even miss the “original” ingredients. Plus these changes make this lobster bisque gluten-free and non-dairy which allows people who are sensitive to either to enjoy a special treat.
If you’re wanting to keep this recipe paleo, you’d just need to replace the white wine with additional low sodium chicken broth, since wine isn’t really a paleo thing. This is also the case for clean-eating, though it’s not 100% agreed upon as to whether a little wine (especially dry wine, like in this lobster bisque recipe) is acceptable on a clean eating diet. Personally, I use a little here and there, particularly in a few yummy recipes (like this one, too!).
What’s your favorite indulgent recipe that you’d LOVE to make healthier? Share in the comments below and I might turn it into a #makeithealthy recipe on the blog!
Ever wanted to know how to make lobster bisque and what’s it made of? Check out this easy lobster bisque recipe which is creamy, delicious, and you’d never know is gluten-free, dairy-free, and easily paleo-friendly!
- 3 lobster tails, in shells
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 1/2 smal yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp chickpea flour
- 1/4 cup white wine* (dry is best)
- 1/2 tsp hot sauce
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 cups lobster base (see instructions below)
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- Fill a large pot half-way with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the lobster tails and boil for 8-10 minutes, or until the shells are bright red and the flesh is opaque. Remove the lobster from the boiling water and allow to cool. Reserve the water -- this will become your lobster base.
- To make the lobster base, remove the lobster from the shell either by cutting through the shell with kitchen shears (my preferred method) or chopping in half and pulling out the flesh. Place the lobster on a cutting board and, after removing any remaining veins, chop into bite-size pieces. Throw the shells back in the water you just boiled the lobster in and boil for another 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, strain the water from the shells using a fine mesh strainer, reserving 1 1/2 cups of the base.
- Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and onion and saute until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add the chickpea flour to the onion-shallot-garlic mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes.
Slowly add the wine, taking care to slowly incorporate the wine into the thickened mixture. Once mixed in and smooth, add the hot sauce, salt, pepper and thyme. Cook for 1-2 minutes until this mixture becomes a thick paste.
- Slowly add the chicken broth and deglaze the pan if any bits are sticking to the pan at this time.
- Add the paprika, tomato paste and lobster base and stir to combine well. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Blend the mixture in a blender or using an immersion blender. The mixture should be very smooth. Return the blended mixture to the pan and add in the coconut milk and lobster chunks. Taste at this time to check if any additional salt or pepper is needed. Heat through.
Recipe Video
* Low sodium chicken broth can be used instead of the white wine if following paleo diet or to avoid using alcohol.
* This recipe has been modified to fit into a clean eating recipe. The original recipe used 1/3 dry cup sherry and 2 cups heavy whipping cream and 1/4 cup unsalted butter instead of low sodium chicken broth and coconut milk. It also included 2 tsp.Worcestershire sauce. All other ingredients and instructions remain the same.
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Prep time: 15 minutes? I think not. Unless you are an Iron Chef with excellent knife skills it will take you more than 15 minutes to slice the shallots and dice the onions; also get all the ingredients together (that is also preparation). Prep time was more like 30 to 45 minutes. Cooking and finishing touches (immersion blender time and preparing lobster was another 15 minutes. Chickpea flour does not taste the same as white flour even when properly cooked to remove floury taste. Part of the charm of lobster bisque is its buttery, cognac signature. This recipe is more a lobster bisque wannabe for someone who thinks everything should be gluten-free. Not necessarily so.
I love finding and making new recipes from the web and have never left a review….ever, but this healthy bisque was one of the best things I’ve ever made. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of using paleo flour instead of chickpea. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for sharing this gem.
Could I possibly get your original recipe. I make this every year for Christmas Eve and much to my surprise today, it’s not the same. My family will be terribly disappointed.
Hi!!
I always make your original recipe as a tradition every year at Christmas, and although I love clean eating the rest of the year this is our special splurge! Could you please send me your original recipe? My family loves it and in fact, I have so many guests I have to quadruple it and I don’t want to mess it up. Thanks so much!!
Tamara
Hello, I have been using your original lobster bisque recipe for the past three years. I’m not a fan of your updated healthy version. I’m a Mainer! lol…
I make lobster bisque every Christmas as a tradition using your original recipe. Is there any chance I can get that from you, please?
Thank you so much.
Ela Mcdaniel
Happy Holidays
Lacey,
thanks for your attention to detail and for a very tempting “project recipe”. Your healthy eating tips are also very welcome as I have just read on other sites that this is a virtual health food! I am now enlightened.
I will be buying some Chick pea flour today.
I was really surprised how much we loved this recipe! I accidentally added the paprika a step too early so my roux smelled a little… spicy at first. The coconut milk totally makes this dish.
I didn’t use 8 lobster tails- I used one whole 1.5lb lobster, and that was plenty for us, and the whole can of coconut milk (including cream at the the top of the can). Also used regular flour instead of chickpea, added a half cup more of the stock, and used 2 tbsp tomato sauce instead of paste (opened up wrong can by accident and just went with it).
Spicy, warm, rich… perfect with some crunchy bread on a cold night. Thanks!
Delicious!! I didnt have white wine or chick pea flour so I added a touch of vodka and thickened it with xanthan gum!!! Super easy will make again!!!!
I use the original recipe (footnoted at the bottom) but substitute some of the cream for milk. The sherry gives it a nice flavor but if I don’t have any on hand the dry vermouth works also. You can freeze the recipe before putting in the cream. When you want some bisque just steam a lobster tail, add the dairy and you’re done. Very simple and excellent.
Lobster comes in all sizes, how many cups is your three?
It roughly makes about 1 1/2 cups of lobster meat.
It can only get better! I had four lobster tails in our freezer. I would guess they had been there for at least two years, probably more. I wanted to cook them to see if they were still good, so my husband mentioned “Lobster Bisque”. I made the Lobster Bisque according to your recipe, and it was GREAT!! Even with old lobster tails, it was GREAT!!! My husband and I were VERY PLEASED!!!! It was his birthday and I usually try to fix him lobster, so I gave it a shot. Thank you and I will make more.
Yay! So glad you and your hubby enjoyed it!!
Made this last night for my husbands birthday dinner and it was a true hit. It was so much easier than I thought a bisque would be and truly restaurant quality. Both my daughters requested it for Christmas and their birthdays!
Isn’t it shocking just how easy it is to make? I am still shocked every time!
This recipe was very user friendly and not difficult, my husband said yummy. I did use fat free half and half to keep the fat content down as a healthier dish. I made the stock from live lobsters which I bought my local grocery store which had an abundance of lobsters from New Years and had a managers special for 3.99 a pound. I did double the recipe and it came out fine. I saved some stock in case i needed to thicken the soup which i had to do so i used the extra lobster stock and corn starch mixture which worked great. I used three whole lobsters which gave me that extra stock, besides the fact that the sale was awesome so much more lobster meat in the soup. My husband is also bringing the bisque to work tomorrow to share with his collegues.
Yay, so glad you all enjoyed it!! That’s a lot of lobster to use – must have been awesome 🙂
This was perfect! The hubby and I just finished 2 big bowls! The only thing is that I only had smoked paprika and the cheap cooking sherry. Luckily our local Fresh-Thyme market usually have lobster tails for under $5…so I also added another tail. It was quite filling. Thanks!!! (I cooked in my slippers too!)
Love adding more lobster, especially when it’s on sale 😉
I usually don’t even do comments, but this bisque deserves the time and effort to leave a review.
This was this most outstanding bisque I have ever tasted! Me and my husband make it a point that every restaurant that we go to if there is bisque, we are ordering and always ready to critique! Well, I just made this for Christmas and me and my hubby agree, this is the best bisque we ever tasted! And he wants to know when I will make some more! Because my beloved lobster is not cheap (I paid $45 for 5 lobster tails!), I can only splurge on special occasions or when they go on sale, but I can’t wait to make this deliciousness again….great job and thanks for the share!
Thank you so much for sharing your comment 🙂 As someone who doesn’t usually comment as well, I truly appreciate it!
Lobster Bisque Recipe
Have you ever doubled the recipe?
I’m having 20 people in Christmas Eve and we have a tasting type of menu. I will definitely need more than one batch.
I haven’t doubled it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t easily double.
Can this be frozen?
How many servings with this recipe. This is not indicated and can the soup be made ahead and frozen. Please advise asap as I’m looking at making the soup for Easter.
Hi Sally! I’ve never tried to freeze it before, but I’d bet it would freeze well – just wait to add any coconut milk or cream until reheating time, as that won’t freeze quite as well.
Hi, I think I made a mistake with the thyme. I bought thyme powder. I think I may have put too much. Is there a way to make this right? how much powder to the dried thyme?
thanks!
gina
I have some seafood broth that I bought and wondered if I could use this as the lobster base.
Yes! That would work as well 🙂
This recipe is fantastic! Don’t be fooled by the word “Easy” in the title! I followed the instructions to the letter and it is Absolutely the best bisque I have ever had!
Yay! 🙂 xoxo
One of my 82 year old Father’s favourite food memories was a lobster bisque with Saffron. I was very nervous trying this ; as I had never worked with lobster before. WOW! from everyone! The only thing I changed was a sprinkle of saffron on top prior to serving-for his memory. I should have commented when I first tried it (over a year now)…He asked me for it frequently and it will be his lunch this Sunday on Father’s Day!
A Fabulous and “easy” as stated !
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
The first time I’ve done anything with lobster tails n oh boy did my husband love it!! Thank you for sharing the recipe!! It’s beyond great and is being enjoyed here in India too! ☺
Woohoo! That’s so awesome 🙂 I am so happy your first time was a success 🙂
Worcestershire — rymes with — Rooster-Tire === so it is pronounced as “wooshtershire”
lol never heard that before – thanks for sharing 🙂
That’s such a very small amount of alcohol that it would not hurt a pregnant woman because the alcohol is cooked out when alcohol is used in cooking. I am not a drinker and certainly didn’t when I was pregnant, but this recipe is completely safe for a pregnant woman. If you are still concerned about it though, here are some other alternatives to try:
Apple juice instead of cider
Chicken broth instead of white wine
Ginger ale instead of beer
Orange juice or pineapple juice instead of sherry
Apricot, peach or pear juice instead of brandy
Thanks, Darla!
What do you do with lobsters you’ve caught in the Keys? Make this delicious lobster bisque recipe. I know cream and butter make everything delicous, but this is so good. I don’t change the recipe at all. We all love it!
Wow, I can’t even imagine how delicious it must be with freshly caught lobster! Lucky!! lol. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Carol 🙂
followed the directions exactly and wouldn’t change a thing! better than the last restaurant I had it at.
Woohoo – ain’t nothing wrong with that! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
First off, Lacey you were right to avoid the alchohol when pregnant
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/11/alcohol-doesnt-really-cook-out-of-food-in-most-cases/
Second what type of white wine did you use a dry or a sweet?
Thanks, Calen 🙂 I use a dry wine for this recipe – when NOT prego 😉
So me and my wife made the soup and just want to say that we both absolutely loved it! Thank you so much.
YES! You’re so welcome, Calen. Thanks for letting me know how it went 🙂 LOVE this bisque!
So, instead of Cioppino which I make every year on Christmas Eve, I made a last minute change to lobster bisque since my family requested a change. I did not want to make the lobster base since I had longastino-chunks of lobster meat and no actual shells. I used a combination of vegetable stock and clam juice since no fish bullion could be found. 1 c veg stock and 1/2 c clam juice….it turned out awesome! My 3 picky teenagers and pickier husband all loved it! They all told me to add to my regular rotation! Not sure I will due to the cream, but every now and then is a definite! I tried to give 5 stars but would only let me rate it 4..
Awesome – so glad your family enjoyed it. Yep, this is definitely a special occasion treat lol 🙂
ICYC, most of the alcohol cooks out, as with most all hot food recipes that call for it, so you could have eaten it when pregnant.
If you can serve it to a kid, you can eat it pregnant. I’ve never heard that kids can’t eat lobster bisque. My daughter loves it.
lol, I suppose you’re right – but I still wanted to play it safe 🙂
This recipe is amazing! I tried it the first time with lobster tails, but would I be able to use whole lobsters instead of just the tail? If so, should 1 lobster cover this recipe?
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it, Rosanna. I’ve only ever tried it with just the tails, but if you have a large lobster with an equivalent amount of meat, that should be fine 🙂
What do you suggest for making this 1 day advance of serving? Can I still cook the Lobster, give it an ice bath, refrigerate and then add to the soup when re-warming on the stove top? Thanks
Jim, while I haven’t tried it myself to be certain, yes I would go ahead and cook the lobster ahead of time like you suggest – especially since you need that flavor for the stock. I have had leftovers of the completed soup a day or two after and the lobster is still tender so it might not be necessary to go to the trouble of the ice bath, though. I’d love to know how it turns out 🙂
Hi Lacey, this recipe sounds delicious. Want to make it for a party, but do you think I could make it a couple days in advance and refrigerate it?
Thanks.
Hmmm…I’ve never made it that far out Joanie, but I have had left-overs reheated in the microwave and it has been delicious. I hope that helps!
Great, thank you. I’ll let you know.☺️
this was the best and easy recipe to follow, i added a little fresh sweet corn and made fresh corn fritters as a garnish
Oh my goodness, those two additions sound marvelous, Karen! 🙂
If one buys the pre-cooked Lobster, then we don’t have shells to use.
I do have Lobster Better than Bouillon, so I will be using this.
I will try to come back to report how much I used.
Ok, good point…looking forward to how it goes for you!
How did it come out? How much did you use?
I made this last night. Fantastic! I will make this again and again! I think I will try adding shrimp, scallops and crab meat for a seafood bisque.
Yum, great ideas 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
I love it, my family loves it – many thanks for the recipe!
Yay! You’re so very welcome 🙂
You know, the alcohol in the soup cooks-out and you can still eat it while pregnant…
lol I’ve heard different stats on such things so I find it best to just stay away entirely 🙂
Love this recipe. So easy! I used 4 smaller tails and cut back just a touch on the heavy cream. My boyfriend asks me to make this for him all the time now it’s his new favorite!
Yay! Thanks for the feedback – I am so happy you both enjoy this recipe so much 🙂
I made this exactly as the recipe and it was AMAZING! I’m going to make it again tonight but wondered about doubling or tripling the recipe…is it just straight forward tripling or do the ingredients need to be modified a bit?
I’ve honestly never tried with this recipe, teresa. Would you be willing to be my guinea pig? lol My thought would be to simply double or triple.
Yum!! I just made this with a few tails that were still too frozen to make along with Valentine’s dinner yesterday. I did add more of the lobster base to stretch the soup farther – so maybe not as thick, but it was still very tasty and rich like lobster bisque should be.
Good to know about stretching it with more base and how that worked out. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Made this last night for an anniversary dinner. Easy and delicious!
I used two 8oz tails because that’s how they came packaged and at $12.99 a package, two didn’t fit my budget. Next time–and there will be a next time!–I’ll budget accordingly because more meat would have been better. I’ll also try a regular blender because I couldn’t get the base as smooth as I wanted it with an immersion blender. The soup was super rich and tasty, and there’s about two cups left over for lunch! Thanks, Lacey.
Awesome, thanks for the feedback – so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 And happy anniversary!!
Can I use 1/2 and 1/2 instead? Thanks
This looks amazing. Planning on making it on Valentines Day. Do you think it’s way too heavy to work as an appetizer? I was planning on using 2 8oz lobster tails and then cutting the recipe in half. Is all this a terrible idea?
Thanks!
Thanks, Nick! I think your plan sounds great – if you split it up, I think you’ll be fine to use as an appetizer. While it is filling and heavy, it will be tasty 🙂
Made this last week and my partner and I about died from how GOOD it was! I’ve always loved your blog and your fabulous recipes so I don’t know why I was surprised but WOW what a home run!
Thank you for sharing! Can’t wait to try the beef-queso dip!
Longtime reader, K
Can any leftovers be stored in the refrigerator and reheated the next day? Would it still have same flavor, texture, etc?
Yes, we have done that before, Donna. The next time it’s heated, it will a have slightly more of a kick to it,but it’s otherwise the same.
How would you adjust this for gluten free? Think it would work if I just leave out the flour? Thanks!
Hi Renee. Good question. Have you ever tried using gluten-free flour? I have used King Arthur’s GF Multi Purpose flour with a lot of success. The flour is used to thicken the bisque so you could also try replacing with cornstarch. Good luck!
For this recipe substituting GF flour will work just the same as regular flour. I don’t recommend omitting it nor would I substitute corn starch.
Thanks for the recommendation/feedback, Wade! Now that there are so many options out there for GF flour, it’s so easy to do substitutions 🙂
Hi,
Just a quick question as I am picking up what I need to make this recipe- I have White Wine Vinegar at home- is that the same as the white wine or do I need to actually buy white wine?
Thanks! Kristin
Hi Kristen. White wine vinegar actually won’t work because it is much more acidic than regular wine. I’d just pick up a bottle of chardonnay if you can.
Oh my goodness! Bought lobster tails to broil-but today was a “soup” kind of day (even in Houston, Texas ). Made this exactly as written-dinner was a huge hit for this first night of 2015! Thanks for sharing -WILL make again. Have a blessed new year.
Awesome! I am so glad you enjoyed this soup. It’s PERFECT for this chilly weather 🙂
What is the measurement for the lobster base? I thought I was seeing things so I switched to my laptop and the recipe is still the same. It says 1 1/s cups lobster base. I’m sure this makes a difference in how watery the bisque comes out. Thank you!
Thanks for catching that typo! It’s been fixed. It should be 1 1/2 cups of the lobster base.
Thank you! Making your recipe for New Years Eve dinner! Thank you.
Yay! I hope you enjoyed it. Happy new year!
I could probably stand to figure out a better setting to use on my Kitchen Aid blender, but this was incredibly good. Just because I like mine with a little kick, instead of the tabasco sauce I used chili garlic sauce. Turned out amazing.
So glad you enjoyed it, Brandon 🙂
This recipe is AMAZING – I used leftover lobsters from our Christmas Eve dinner for the meat and broth and it came out great! My entire family raved about it. Thank you for sharing it!
YES! That’s awesome, Beth. I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it 🙂
I’m confused! Step two says to sauté shallots, onions, etc., but that portion is never referenced again! Am I missing something?
Hi Dave! Sorry to have confused you. I;ve updated the recipe instructions to hopefully make it clearer. The flour gets added to the onion-shallot-garlic mixture while you prepare the lobster base. Let me know if you have any further questions.
My wife and I recently discovered how good Lobster Bisque could be (Lobster Hut, Plymouth, MA) and I thought I would take a crack at making some for her…
The instructions seem pretty straight-forward except for one part that I am a little confused on. What do you do with the onion-shallot-garlic mixture while you prepare the lobster base? Leave it over heat, take it off heat but leave in pan, something else? It seems like it will take at least 15 minutes to make the base and if the onion-shallot-garlic mixture cooked that whole time, it would be way over-cooked. Could you make the base before starting the and have it at the ready? Thanks.
Hi Ryan – thanks for the feedback! To make it clearer, I changed the recipe to have you make the lobster base before starting to cook the onion and shallot. Hopefully, this makes more sense 🙂
Enjoy!
I tried this for the 1st time tonight & even though i missed a few ingredients (twekked for the Lil ones) it was delicious! Definitely one that will go in my recipe book as a must have.
Yes! I’m so glad to hear you liked it enough to add to the “must have” list, MaryBeth. I love that! 🙂
Made this tonight. It was delicious! Two lobster tails would have been plenty of meat though. Will keep this recipe for sure.
Glad you enjoyed it, Brittany.
This has been sounding super good to me lately 🙂
That’s because it’s AWESOME! 😉
What a delicious and luxurious bisque! I’ve never made a lobster bisque, but I’m a huge fan of it, can’t wait to give it a try!
Thanks, Danae! I’d love to know what you think about it 🙂