This lightened up lobster bisque is a tad bit healthier than the restaurant version, but still full of flavor. It's got a slight spicy kick to it from the smoked paprika and goes perfectly with a rustic baguette.
We are almost through February! Can you believe it? I can. I feel like this month (and last month) have been creeping. We are closing on our house next week, so I am pretty anxious to make it through the month! More on that in the monthly newsletter, so let's talk about this lobstaaaa bisque! *swoon*
We recently went to Florida last week and I had shrimp or lobster for 90% of my meals. Clearly, I didn't get enough of it because I came home and re-created a lobster bisque that's slightly healthier than the restaurant version.
One thing I will say about this lobster bisque is that it is heavy on tomato. If you are someone who doesn't do well with acidic foods, this bisque isn't for you. I made it so that it can be shared between 2-3 people, but let's be real, you can eat it all yourself if you want 🙂
Ingredients in Healthy Lobster Bisque
- Carrots, onion, celery: Also known as mirepoix. I chopped these veggies up ahead of time and it saved me from having to get the cutting board out for a second time.
- Smoked paprika and cayenne: If you don't have smoked paprika, you can use regular paprika. I would definite?y consider picking some smoked paprika up because it's full of flavor! One of my favorite ingredients!
- Crushed tomatoes: I could not find a 13 ounce can or something around that size so I bought a 28 ounce can and just used one cup out of it.
- Seafood broth: This isn't a hard ingredient to find! It's generally right next to the other cooking broths at the grocery store!
- Half and Half: Many restaurants use heavy cream, but half and half doesn't leave you with a 'heavy' feeling and still adds a nice richness to the lobster bisque.
- LOBSTER TAILS: Hear me out. You can buy lobster tails right from the seafood counter at the grocery store or you can buy them frozen. Either way you can choose the size. A lot of times they will have them on sale or special around the holidays, so check the flyer!
I've included step by step videos in the recipe card for you on how to cook, cut and get the lobster meat out of the tail. It's actually kind of fun when you get the hang of it and makes you fancy 💁🏼♀️
There are other ways to go about cooking the lobster. You can broil it too, but I think boiling is pretty easy and is generally healthier because you don't need the butter to broil.
If you wanted to make this lobster bisque even healthier, you could use extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil when cooking the vegetables instead of butter. You could also use 2% milk instead of half and half, but now we are just cutting too many corners.
I haven't tried this recipe with coconut milk or vegan butter to make it dairy free, but if you do, please let me know!
Hope you love this lightened up lobster bisque!! If you are looking for more soup inspiration here are some fabulous ones...
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Lightened Up Lobster Bisque
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This lightened up lobster bisque is a tad bit healthier than the restaurant version, but still full of flavor. It's got a slight spicy kick to it from the smoked paprika and goes perfectly with a rustic baguette.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- ½ large white onion, diced
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp thyme leaves, dried
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes, canned (about 13 ounces)
- ½ cup white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups seafood broth
- ½ cup half and half
- 2 lobster tails, thawed
Instructions
- Start by heating a large stock pot over medium heat with 2 tbsp butter, garlic and onion.
- When the onion starts to cook down (1-2 minutes), add in the celery, carrots, paprika, thyme, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the crushed tomatoes and white wine, stirring to combine. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add in the seafood broth and bay leaf. Place a lid on the stock pot and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- While the bisque is cooking, begin to cook the lobster tails by boiling a pot of salted water. Once the water is boiling, add in the 2 lobster tails and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the shell turns bright red.
- When the lobster is finished cooking, drain the water and remove lobster tails. Using a sharp chef's knife or kitchen scissors, cut directly down the lobster shell vertically. Once cut, squeeze the lobster so that the shell separates, remove the lobster meat and set aside.
- When the bisque is finished cooking, remove the bay leaf and blend all of the ingredients (excluding the lobster) in a blender or use an immersion blender in the bottom of the stock pot. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the bisque back into the pot (if using a blender) and add ½ cup half and half. Stir to combine.
- Serve in a bowl with lobster meat in the middle and enjoy!
Notes
Option to add in corn kernels. It was a nice addition, but definitely not needed.
You can use vegetable broth, but most stores have seafood broth right next to the other broths.
You may increase the amount of half of half if you like more of a creamier bisque. I found ½ cup to be a nice balance without feeling too 'heavy'.
You can find lobster tails at the seafood counter and they normally have specials around holidays. Also if you are a Sam's club or Costco member, they have good deals!
This soup does have a little kick to it with the cayenne and paprika (or at least I think so), so adjust accordingly if you don't like spicy.
Recipe adapted from Living Chripy
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup, Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: French
I made this and it is excellent! Will be making it again soon!
Great to hear!! Thank you Judy!
What a great idea to make a lighter version of lobster bisque! I really don’t understand why so many recipes call for lobster to be slathered in butter or cream. It’s delicious on its own. I’ll definitely have to try this next time I order some lobsters online.