Brimming with fresh, succulent blue crab meat and tender sweet corn, this Corn and Blue Crab Bisque is as easy to prepare as it is delicious. This is a simple classic recipe that is perfect for everything from a cold winter evening to a light summer meal.
If you like crab meat and fresh corn, you’ve hit the jackpot! This luxurious soup marries the two classics in a thick and velvety bisque with just the right touch of spice.
Why this recipe works:
- It’s quick and easy to prepare, only uses one pan, and you can have it on the table in 30 minutes.
- You can make it ahead!
- It combines two classic flavors into a wonderfully thick and creamy bisque.
- It’s as at home on a family weeknight dinner table as it is as a starter for an elegant meal for company.
What’s the difference between soup and bisque?
I’m glad you asked. A bisque is typically made with seafood or shellfish. It’s also richer, with a higher cream content than soup.
Blue crabs:
Blue crabs, which have dark green shells and blue legs, are harvested along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Lucky for us here in North Florida, they are plentiful in the bays and estuaries just south of us and are readily available at local seafood markets year-round.
According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, “blue crab is high in protein and low in fat. It contains calcium, iron, and vitamins as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which contribute to heart health.”
The only downside, if there is one, is blue crab meat, especially lump crab meat, is expensive. And, if you have ever tried to clean a crab, you know why. Cleaning them is very labor-intensive and is done mostly by hand.
Crabmeat is usually sold as lump, backfin, or claw. You can also buy crab claws with the pincer still attached which are the star ingredient in my fantastic Fried Crab Claws.
What’s in it:
To make this delightful dish, you will need butter, onion, garlic, seafood stock, fresh corn, flour, white wine, half-and-half, and fresh crabmeat. You will also need a bay leaf, creole or cajun seasoning, black and cayenne pepper, and kosher salt.
How to make it:
Add the butter to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent and tender.
Add the garlic, bay leaf, cayenne, creole or cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Cook and stir until you can smell the garlic, which should take about 30 seconds to one minute.
Add the seafood stock. Bring to a boil and add the corn. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
Add the flour to 1/2 cup of the half-and-half and stir with a fork until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Then, add to the bisque mixture.
Add the remaining 1/2 cup of half-and-half and 1/4 cup of white wine. Increase the heat to medium. Stir continuously until the bisque begins to thicken and gets creamy. This should take about three to four minutes.
Reduce the heat again to low and add the crabmeat. Stir gently and try to avoid breaking up the delicate lumps of crab. Cook for three minutes or until the bisque is hot.
Taste and add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, if needed. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
What to serve with it:
This soup would be delicious served with my easy old-fashioned hoecakes, aka fried cornbread, broccoli cheddar cheese cornbread muffins, or a slice of traditional southern-style cornbread.
Sharon’s tips:
Be sure not to skip the step of picking over your crabmeat for shell fragments. If you have ever eaten egg salad and bitten into a piece of shell, you know how unpleasant that is. To look for pieces of shell, spread out the crabmeat on a large plate and carefully and gently look through the delicate meat. Pick out and discard any bits of shell or cartilage.
This recipe calls for fresh lump crabmeat. You can substitute claw meat, which is a little less expensive, but it also has a more robust crab flavor.
Because fresh crabmeat is so easy to find where I live, I have never tried canned crabmeat, so I can’t say how it would be in this soup.
Leftovers, if you have them, can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. I would not try to freeze it, as It might affect the texture.
Corn and crab bisque can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator and heat it gently over low heat when you are ready to serve it.
This soup has a low level of heat. If you don’t like any heat, reduce the amount of cayenne pepper or the creole or cajun seasoning. You can always add more at the end if it’s not spicy enough for your taste.
Related recipes:
If you like crab and seafood as we do, you might also like these popular recipes on my blog:
- Blackened Mahi-Mahi with Blackened Seasoning
- Grilled Grouper Topped with Mango Salsa
- Brown Sugar Glazed Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
- Roasted Shrimp Pasta Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Southern Crispy Fried Oysters
- Easy Southern Style Blue Crab Cakes
- Avocado Stuffed with Blue Crab
Here is a link to all of my seafood recipes is you need more menu ideas.
★ If you make this dish, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!
Thank you so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones!
Ultimate Fresh Corn and Blue Crab Bisque Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp creole or cajun seasoning
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 32 oz seafood stock
- 2 ears fresh corn cut off the cob
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half-and-half divided
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 lb fresh lump crab meat picked over for shells
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt or to taste
- parsley optional, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Add the butter to a large Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent and tender.
- Add the garlic, bay leaf, cayenne, creole or cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Cook and stir until you can smell the garlic, which should take about 30 seconds to one minute.
- Add the seafood stock. Bring to a boil and add the corn. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Add the flour to 1/2 cup of the half-and-half and stir with a fork until the mixture is smooth with no lumps. Then, add to the bisque mixture. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of half-and-half and 1/4 cup of white wine. Increase the heat to medium. Stir continuously until the bisque begins to get thick and creamy. This should take about three to four minutes.
- Reduce the heat again to low and add the crabmeat. Stir gently and try to avoid breaking up the delicate lumps of crab. Cook for three minutes or until the bisque is hot.
- Taste and add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, if needed. Optional, garnish with parsley, Serve immediately.
Made this recipe today and it was sensational! I used 1 cup of homemade shrimp shell broth and the rest chicken broth from the store. I had trouble finding fresh crabmeat and after 3 stores, found it at $32 lbs (not blue crab) but great nonetheless! Like this recipe because calories are reasonable with half&half and white wine. I also added more veggies – finely chopped sweet pepper and celery. Delicious!
Thank you, this recipe was fantastic and I can’t wait to make it again!
Very good, but I would go easier on the cayenne next time. This was too spicy even for several Louisianians. We added a bit more half and half at the end to tame the heat, put a dollop of sour cream on top, and made the suggested cheddar cornbread muffins (without broccoli) to go with. It was perfect then.
Corn Crab Bisque looks like heaven in a bowl. And thanks for bringing back some great childhood memories with your Tomato Gravy recipe. Mine is a little different, but like you said, aren’t they all. Great to see you at “Supper Club.”
Hey Kathy,
Thanks so much for your sweet note. I hope you and Pat are doing well and I hope you get to try the Corn and Crab Bisque soon!
All the best,
Sharon
PS: To any readers that are worried, our “Supper Club” get together was a Zoom online “happy-hour” meeting to catch up with old friends! Hopefully, this isn’t the “new” normal!