Aunt Bee’s crab bisque recipe yields a rich, creamy, and flavorful soup that’s perfect for an easy lunch or a special holiday dinner.
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If you love crab recipes, be sure to try this crab imperial, a crab roll recipe, the best crab cakes, this crab melt recipe, this crab roll, a California roll bowl, and my mom’s 10-minute crab dip recipe, too!
Blair, this recipe is a great base for any shellfish bisque. We doubled the recipe and used 1 pound of Maryland lump crabmeat…I can think of a few high end restaurants that couldn’t meet Aunt Bee’s standard. Thank you and Aunt Bee for one of the best recipes we have ever tried.
– Sasquatch
Years ago, when my parents were in South Carolina, they made a quick side trip to North Carolina for a visit with my great Aunt Bee. She didn’t do a lot of elaborate cooking at home at that point, but she was always the ultimate hostess. She pulled together a delicious lunch for Mom and Dad, which included bowls of her favorite Southern crab bisque recipe. My mom made sure to request the details on my behalf, and a few days later, Aunt Bee’s handwritten note arrived in my mailbox. I’m honored to share it with you here!
What to Know about this Recipe for Crab Bisque
- Splurge on the good stuff for this recipe! I recommend jumbo lump crab meat, lump crab meat (which is a little bit smaller than the jumbo lump), or even backfin crab meat (or a combination of these). Canned crab, claw crab meat, and imitation crab meat are not my preference.
- Sometimes Aunt Bee made this easy crab soup with a full pound of crabmeat, but she also suggested the combination of shrimp and crab (shown here) for a more affordable dish. Fully-cooked baby shrimp or “salad shrimp” provide a taste of delicious seafood in every bite.
- Sherry is a fortified wine that adds so much rich flavor to this broth. Don’t omit this ingredient — it really sets the soup apart from its counterparts! In a pinch, you can substitute with white wine, marsala wine, or port. Just make sure that you’re not using sherry vinegar.
- This recipe yields a relatively small portion of soup — about 5 cups. If you’re feeding a larger family, I recommend doubling all of the ingredients for a larger batch.
The Difference Between She Crab Soup and Crab Bisque
She Crab Soup is a popular Charleston dish made with lump crabmeat and crab roe. By contrast, crab bisque is a creamy soup made with crabmeat — but not the roe.
A traditional bisque is a French-style soup that’s made from crustaceans (such as lobster, crab, shrimp, and/or crayfish). The shells of these crustaceans are used to make the stock, while the meat is incorporated into the finished soup. While you can certainly use a seafood stock in this recipe, I keep it simple with chicken broth or vegetable broth instead. The main characteristic of any bisque is its smooth, velvety texture, which is achieved in this case with heavy cream and a roux that thickens the broth.
How to Make Crab Bisque
Since the shrimp and crab are already fully cooked, this quick and easy crab bisque recipe comes together on the stovetop in less than 45 minutes! Prep it ahead and then just store it in the refrigerator and reheat when ready to serve. It’s simple to make, but it tastes like you’re dining in a fine restaurant. Perfect for holidays and entertaining!
- Sauté onion, celery, and scallions in butter.
- Add flour to thicken.
- Whisk in broth, bring to a boil, and then simmer until the broth thickens — about 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the sherry, ketchup, tomato paste, seafood seasoning, and cream. Bring to a simmer. Once you add the cream, do not let the soup boil. Warm over low heat, then serve. Boiling may cause the cream to curdle.
- Add the crab and shrimp, cooking just until warmed through — about 5 more minutes. If the crab bisque isn’t thick enough for your liking, whisk together a quick cornstarch slurry using 1 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of cold cream or half and half. Mix the slurry into the soup and bring it up to a low simmer until it thickens to your preferred consistency.
- Ladle into bowls, garnish with fresh herbs, and serve!
What to Serve with Crab Bisque
Aunt Bee said that you can serve this crab bisque hot or cold (depending on the season). Since the soup is so rich, a little bit goes a long way. A cup of soup served as an appetizer before a special holiday dinner is lovely. Pair it with some oyster crackers, a loaf of crusty Dutch oven bread, or a simple side salad with Dijon vinaigrette for a light first course or an easy entertaining lunch or dinner.
Preparation and Storage Tips
- How to Store: Keep leftover crab bisque in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- How to Reheat: Warm the soup over a low flame just until heated through, being careful not to let it boil. You can also reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 1 minute, but keep a close eye on it so that it doesn’t get too hot.
- I do not recommend freezing the crab bisque, as cream-based soups have a tendency to “break” when thawed (resulting in an undesirable texture and appearance).
One of the best crab bisque I’ve tasted. There’s so many out there crab bisque recipes but no one ever matches this one.
– U. Joanne Krasuski
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Crab Bisque
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter (I typically use salted butter, but unsalted butter is also fine)
- ¼ cup finely chopped onion
- ¼ cup finely chopped celery
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth, or seafood stock
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay seasoning)
- 2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
- 8 ounces jumbo lump or lump crabmeat
- 8 ounces fully-cooked baby shrimp or “salad shrimp” (or additional 8 ounces of crabmeat)
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- Garnish: sliced scallions (green onions) or chives and chopped fresh parsley or thyme
- For serving: oyster crackers or bread
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and scallions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the broth thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the sherry, ketchup, tomato paste, seafood seasoning, and cream.
- Bring to a simmer, but do not let it boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the crab and shrimp. Cook just until the crab and shrimp are warmed through, about 5 more minutes.
- Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with additional sliced scallions or fresh herbs, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Crab Bisque Soup Recipe Variations
- For an even thicker, more indulgent soup, use a full 16 ounces of crab (in addition to the shrimp).
- Swap out the shrimp and replace it with an extra 8 ounces of crab, if you prefer.
- Crab and Lobster Bisque: swap out the shrimp and replace it with 8 ounces of cooked lobster meat.
- A traditional bisque is pureed until smooth and creamy. If you prefer an even smoother texture in this soup, purée the mixture with an immersion blender before adding the crab and shrimp.
- Make it spicy with a little bit of cayenne pepper.
More Seafood Soup Recipes to Try
Oyster Stew Recipe
25 minutes mins
Cioppino {Fisherman’s Stew}
55 minutes mins
New England Clam Chowder
55 minutes mins
This post was originally published in September, 2016. It was updated in December, 2024.
Your Aunt Bee makes the best recipes! I love that you share all of them, Blair. Such special meanings, and deliciousness, too. And I’m in awe of how easy this is! I can definitely use more simple dinners, so I’m definitely pinning this one. Sounds delicious!
Thanks so much, Gayle! Easy recipes like this are always the best! 🙂
Love Aunt Bee’s recipes, Blair! How lucky you are to have her in your life to share her culinary and life skills – a treasure.
This looks delicious and I’m very glad I’m about to eat dinner because now I’m starving!
Thank you, Robyn! She is such a gift, you’re right! 🙂
I always love your Aunt Bee’s recipes! Whenever I see one with that label, I know I’m going to like it. She sounds so dear! It’s amazing that you guys email too – I wish I could get my Gma to figure out a computer. Haha!
This looks absolutely wonderful – and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t even eat seafood. Lol!! My S.O. would LOVE this, and he likes to cook, so I’ll share the recipe with him!
Thank you, Sarah! Aunt Bee is the best (and so is her food)! I hope that you share this with your man! 🙂
This looks AMAZING! And so so easy to make too! How lucky you are to have your Aunt Bee with all these delicious recipes!
Thanks, Kristy!
This looks so comforting! Love the idea of using crab and shrimp for a seafood bisque!
Thanks, Krystle! It’s total comfort food!
Hi, Linda! Yes — another can of the cream of celery would be perfect! 🙂
Hi, Michele! The key to cooking with wine is just finding a wine that you actually like to drink. If you like to drink the wine, it will probably taste good in your food, too. Don’t buy those cheap “cooking wines” at the grocery store — they’re often salty and not very good. If you’re not too particular about the wines you drink, I would suggest going with a middle-of-the-road (price wise) chardonnay or sauvignon blanc in this recipe. Enjoy!
Hi, Elaine! These recipes are merely offered as inspiration — I encourage you to make any changes that you like and adapt it to suit your tastes. 🙂
I’ve actually never tried the cream of asparagus soup, so I have no idea if it would overpower the dish. I imagine that it would be fine if you like the taste of both the cream of celery and cream of asparagus. I don’t have a specific kind of sherry to suggest — just something that’s high quality enough to actually drink (I don’t recommend the cooking sherry at the grocery store). Hope that helps!!
HI Blair, I kind of followed Aunt Bee’s, using the cr.mushroom, asparagus and celery soups. 1 C. Light Cream and 1 1/4 cup milk
I used 1/2 Tsp Worcestershir Suace adn 1/8 tsp tabasco abut 2/3 c. dry Sherry from the liquor store….there is NO ZIP in the soup…what else can I do to make it more pungents sauce woth a Bisque taste…ok yes….and 1/2 lb. chopped IMitation ….Thaks for your help Blair it’s good but VERY BLAND I’ll check my em,ail again tomorrow tos ee if there is any message from you or anyone ealse..Thank You for your sugggestions and time!!!
Hi, Elaine! Yes, it’s definitely just a very simple creamy soup flavored mostly by the crab. If you want more flavor in the soup, you could saute carrots, celery, onion and garlic in butter (just like you would for a lot of other soups). Then add the milk, condensed soups, etc…and proceed with the rest of the recipe. Otherwise, feel free to season with any of your favorites — cayenne or Cajun seasoning for some kick, paprika, or herbs like thyme, parsley, etc. Hope that helps!
Great recipe. I used lump crab, lobster, and shrimp and it was delicious. I’ll definitely make this again.
YUM! Sounds amazing! Thank you. 🙂
Absolutely delicious and very easy to make. The only thing I did extra was added a pound of shrimp, and I did not use the old bay seasoning. It really didn’t need it, the flavors were so intense and wonderful. This will be my favorite!
Thank you so much, Denise!!!
One of the best crab bisque I’ve tasted. There’s so many out there crab bisque recipes but no one ever matches this one.
Thank you so much, Joanne! That makes me happy to hear. 🙂
Blair, this recipe is a great base for any shellfish bisque. We doubled the recipe and used 1 pound of Maryland lump crabmeat. With My Lovely Wife as Sous Chef and Official Taste Tester, we made the following additions to “season to taste”: For the creamy broth, we used 2 cups of whole milk and 2 cups of half-and-half. We decided that the bisque needed 1 more teaspoon of tomato paste, an additional quarter cup of sherry, 1.5 additional teaspoons of Old Bay, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of celery salt. Note that we made the additions incrementally, taste testing each addition.
The best thing about this recipe is that the soup was thickened perfectly. Not too runny and definitely not too stiff. I can think of a few high end restaurants that couldn’t meet Aunt Bee’s standard.
Thank you and Aunt Bee for one of the best recipes we have ever tried.
Thank you for the feedback! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe and were able to adjust it to suit your preferences.
This is phenomenally easy and tasty bisque recipe! It was unanimously voted the favorite food at our Christmas dinner and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for your sharing!
We’re so happy to hear this, Francie! Thank you for trying it out and taking the time to leave a review. We hope you had a very merry Christmas!