Corn and Crab Bisque Recipe

Reasons you will love this recipe:

• This corn and crab soup is quick and easy to prepare, only uses one pan, and can be on the table in 30 minutes. You can even make it ahead!
• It combines two classic flavors into a wonderfully thick and creamy bisque.
• Corn and crab bisque is as at home on a family weeknight dinner table as it is as a starter for an elegant meal for company.

Ingredient notes and substitutions:

• Butter: I use unsalted butter in this recipe, but feel free to use salted butter and reduce the kosher salt slightly to taste.
• Onion: Onion and garlic are the aromatics that add flavor to the base of this soup. You could use white or yellow onion in this recipe.
• Garlic: Make sure to only cook the garlic for a minute or less. Burned garlic will ruin the flavor of your soup!
• Seasonings: A handful of simple seasonings make for an amazing flavor in this soup. I use bay leaf, cayenne pepper, Creole or Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and kosher salt.
• Fresh corn: Fresh whole kernel corn cut off the corn cobs is excellent in this soup. If you don’t have fresh corn, you could substitute frozen corn kernels.
• Seafood stock: If you can’t find seafood stock, you can substitute chicken stock.
• All-purpose flour: Thickens the soup to give it a creamy texture.
• Half and half: Makes the rich and creamy broth. For an extra velvety texture, you could substitute heavy cream.
• White wine: Just a small amount of dry white wine adds a great depth of flavor.
• Blue Crab lump crabmeat: Fresh crabmeat is ideal in this recipe, but frozen defrosted crab works well too.
• Parsley: Adds a nice pop of color to the soup when serving. Thinly sliced green onions would work well too!

Complete measurements are in the recipe card below.

How to make corn and crab bisque

1. Spread the crabmeat on a large plate and carefully and gently use your fingers to feel the delicate meat. Try not to break up any large lumps. Pick out and discard any bits of shell or cartilage; it’s much easier to feel the shell bits than see them. Set aside.

2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat (I recommend a Dutch oven). When the butter has melted, add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions become translucent and tender.

3. 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.

4. Add the seafood stock (or chicken stock if using). Bring the stock to a boil and add the corn. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.

5. In a small bowl, add the flour to half a 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.

6. Add the remaining half a cup of half-and-half and a quarter 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.

7. Reduce the heat again to low and add the crab meat. Stir gently and try to avoid breaking up the delicate lumps of crab. Cook for three minutes or until the bisque is hot.

8. Taste the soup and add half a teaspoon of kosher salt, if needed. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Serving suggestions:

This soup would be delicious served with my easy old-fashioned hoecakes, broccoli cheddar cheese cornbread muffins, Texas toast garlic bread, hushpuppies, or a slice of traditional southern-style cornbread.

Recipe variations:

• In addition to crabmeat, you could add shrimp, scallops, or lobster.
• Instead of using traditional seafood stock, you could substitute chicken stock, vegetable stock, or even clam juice.
• In addition to corn, you can also add other vegetables to your bisque, such as potatoes, carrots, celery, or onions. Sauté the vegetables in butter or olive oil before adding them to the bisque for extra flavor.
• For a more complex flavor, try adding a pinch of crab boil seasoning or Old Bay seasoning.
• In addition to the parsley, you could add other toppings such as sliced green onions, crumbled bacon, diced tomatoes, or shredded cheese.
• Try topping your bisque with croutons, Cheeze-its, or oyster crackers for a bit of extra crunch.

Make ahead and storage tips:

Corn and crab bisque can be made up to 24 hours ahead. Store the soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to serve the soup, reheat it gently on the stovetop over low heat.

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this soup, as it will degrade the texture.

Recipe FAQs:

Expert tips and tricks:

• 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 find any bits of shell, spread the crabmeat on a large plate and carefully and gently use your fingers to feel the delicate meat. Try not to break up any large lumps. Pick out and discard any bits of shell or cartilage; it’s much easier to feel the shell bits than see them.
• This recipe calls for fresh lump white 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.
• 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.