Crawfish Bisque

Content… What Is It? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage Instructions FAQs What to Serve More Cozy Bisque Recipes to Try Conclusion

What Is Crawfish Bisque?

Bisque is a mouthwatering, velvety soup born in France, and, of course, Louisiana is highly influenced by the French. Traditionally, any crustacean, like lobster, crab, or shrimp, and mirepoix are essential for bisque. However, in Louisiana, it’s all about crawfish and the holy trinity. And it’s an excellent opportunity to go cheap because it’s about flavor, not beauty because everything is pureed. 

Recipe Ingredients

1. Crawfish – Not only are these guys the star of the show, but the heads and shells make an outstanding homemade stock for the flavor base.
2. Seasonings– I use garlic, onion, celery, bay leaves, thyme, bouillon powder, salt, and black pepper to bring exceptional aroma and flavor to the stock. Then Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper amp up the bisque’s flavor factor.
3. Veggies – No Cajun dish is complete without the signature holy trinity of yellow onion, red bell pepper, and celery. And garlic, fresh thyme, and tomatoes to add more savory goodness.
4. Tomato Paste – Aside from fresh tomatoes, tomato paste adds thickness and a bolder tomato taste.
5. Roux – Butter and flour are critical to a perfect roux.
6. Wine – This optional ingredient deglazes the pan and delivers a phenomenal depth of flavor. 
7. Heavy Cream – You need cream for the ultimate silky richness.😉

How to Make Crawfish Bisque

Make the Stock

• Boil your crawfish in a large pot of water for about 4-5 minutes. Drain and allow them to cool to handle them easier.
• Prep Broth – Remove the tail meat by peeling off the shell in the tail. Save the head and shells for the stock and place the tail meat in your refrigerator until ready to use.
• Simmer – Add the head and shell of the crawfish to a large stock pot. Then add garlic, onion, celery, bay leaves, thyme, bouillon powder, salt, pepper, and water. Give it a stir and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes. When your stock is ready, strain it through a mesh strainer and reserve it until ready to cook.

Make the Bisque

• Make the Base – Place a large, heavy pot over medium heat, melt butter, and drizzle over olive oil. Next, add onion, garlic, celery, bell pepper, and thyme. Cook until vegetables are soft and garlic is fragrant, occasionally stirring for about 5 minutes. Then add tomato paste and fresh chopped tomato. Continue to cook for about 3-4 minutes.
• The Roux – Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook until smooth and flour are fully absorbed, 1-2 minutes. This will help to thicken the soup later.
• Season – Pour in the wine, Worcestershire sauces, Creole seasoning, and cayenne pepper while stirring to thoroughly combine. Next, add prepared crawfish stock. Bring it all to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until liquid is reduced and flavors meld, occasionally stirring, 10-12 minutes—season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Puree – Carefully pour bisque into a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively, you may use a stick blender in the pot to puree until smooth.
• Add Cream – Return the bisque to the pot, place over medium-low heat, and stir in heavy cream and half of the crawfish meat. Cook until just warmed through, about 5 minutes.
• Serve in bowls, top with the remaining crawfish meat, garnish with parsley, and enjoy!

Recipe Variations

1. Crawfish Swap – Try this recipe with crab, shrimp, lobster, or a combination of seafood.
2. Creamier Variations – Live up to French cuisine expectations by making it creamier by adding more cream, butter, or milk.
3. Texture – I know bisque is supposed to be smooth and velvety, but “your soup, your rules!” applies here. So if you’re a fan of chunky, skip the blender and serve it as is.
4. Veggies – Add chunks of veggies, like carrots, potatoes, corn, and celery, and go for a chowder-like finish.

Tips and Tricks

1. If using frozen, already cooked crawfish, thaw the crawfish, skip the initial boiling process, take out tail meat, and prepare the stock using the head and shell.
2. For an amazing roux, stir it continuously until it turns a cream color.
3. Store-bought stock saves time, and I won’t tell. 😉 
4. Letting your soup cool a tad before pureeing will reduce explosions and make for easier cleanup. 🤦🏿‍♀️

Make-Ahead Instructions

Luckily this recipe is great for making in advance. You can freeze the stock and cooked crawfish for 6 months. You can also make the bisque up to the part before adding the cream and freeze it for up to 3 months. Then when you’re ready to enjoy crawfish bisque, thaw it overnight in the fridge, reheat it in a pot, and add the cream at the appropriate moment. 

Serving and Storage Instructions

I’ve never had leftover crawfish bisque, but if you do, it stores well in an airtight container or freezer-safe resealable bag in the fridge for 3 days or 3 months in the freezer. 

Reheat the bisque in a saucepan over medium heat. Add more stock or cream if necessary, then simmer for a few minutes.

FAQs

What to Serve With Crawfish Bisque

Mouthwatering crusty bread is the typical side, perfect for wiping your bowl clean. Any of the following recipes go well with soup.

1. Foccacia Bread
2. Challah Bread
3. Homemade Breadsticks
4. Garlic Bread
5. Easy Drop Biscuits

More Cozy Bisque Recipes to Try

1. Shrimp Bisque
2. Crab Bisque
3. Tomato Bisque
4. Lobster Bisque
5. Corn and Crab Bisque

Conclusion

Rich, creamy bisque turned into elegant Southern comfort food with crawfish is the ultimate impress-your-guests dish. Have you ever made a bisque? Tell me which one in the comments. I’m always happy to hear from you. ❤️