Date: · Updated: Author: Sharon Rigsby
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Brimming with fresh, succulent blue crab meat and tender sweet corn, this easy Corn and Crab Bisque recipe is perfect for the seafood lovers in your life.
With a luxurious creamy base and just the right amount of cajun spice, this simple corn and crab bisque is delicious on a cold winter evening and equally perfect for a light summer meal.
Blue crab meat is usually sold as lump, backfin, or claw. In addition to this bisque, I like to use it to make Blue Crab Cakes, Stuffed Shrimp, Crab Mornay Dip, and Deviled Crab. You can also buy crab claws with the pincer still attached, which are the star ingredient in my fantastic Fried Crab Claws.
As easy to prepare as it is delicious, this creamy soup cooks in one large pot for simple prep and cleanup. And this classic crab and corn bisque can be prepared ahead – it’s even more delicious the next day!
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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 this recipe for corn and crab bisque:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 (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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
What is the difference between soup, bisque, and chowder?
The labels of soup, bisque, and chowder can be used interchangeably, but they are all a little different!
A bisque, like this recipe for corn and crab bisque is typically made with seafood or shellfish. It’s also richer, with a higher cream content than soup, but not quite as creamy as chowder.
A chowder like this recipe for Lobster Chowder, is a very rich and creamy soup that typically contains seafood, potatoes, and a white roux.
Soup such as this recipe for Black-Eyed Pea Soup is often thinner than chowder or bisque, and generally broth-based.
What are 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 to our south 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 jumbo 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.
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.
More seafood recipes you’ll love:
If you like crab and seafood as we do, you might also like these popular recipes on my blog:
- Blackened Grouper
- Easy Pan-Seared Red Snapper Recipe with Mango Salsa
- Best Easy Southern Crispy Fried Oysters Recipe
- Best Blackened Mahi Mahi Recipe (Easy-10 Minutes)
Here is a link to all of my seafood recipes if you need more menu ideas.
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Ultimate Corn and Crab Bisque Recipe (Easy to Make)
Sharon Rigsby
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.
5 from 8 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Southern
Servings 6 servings
Calories 240 kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons creole or cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 32 ounces seafood stock
- 2 ears of fresh corn, cut off the cob
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half-and-half, divided
- ¼ cup white wine
- 1 pound fresh lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- ½ teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- parsley optional, chopped for garnish
Instructions
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.
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.
See AlsoThe Best Potato-Leek Soup RecipeAdd 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 (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.
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.
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.
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.
Taste the soup and add half a teaspoon of kosher salt, if needed. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 240kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 19gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 67mgSodium: 1326mgPotassium: 371mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 131mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Tag me today! Mention @gritspinecones or tag #gritspinecones!
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Eleanor Warmack
Just made this and it was delicious. I had some folks who aren’t die hard seafood eaters. I doubled the recipe and used one seafood stock and one chicken stock to calm that flavor down and it was great. Also tamed down the cayenne by using 1/3 teaspoon because I had some heat resistant eaters. It was perfect. Can’t wait to make it again.Reply
- Sharon Rigsby
Hey Eleanor, I’m so glad you and your guests enjoyed it, and thanks so much for letting me know.
All the best,
SharonReply
- Kristy Murray
There’s nothing like a good bisque and this recipe of yours with corn and crab looks fabulous. What a great recipe for the Fall weather. Thanks so much for sharing.Reply
- Charlotte
Hello can this be frozen?
Reply
- Sharon Rigsby
Hi Charlotte, I have never frozen this, but I think it might affect the texture, and I can’t recommend it. I’m sorry I don’t have better news. If you do decide to freeze it, please let me know how it goes.
All the best,
SharonReply
- Sharon Rigsby
Hi Charlotte, I haven’t ever frozen it because I think the texture might be affected, so I can’t say for sure. If you do decide to freeze it, please let me know how it goes.
All the best,
SharonReply
- D.Ashley
I use an uv flashlight in a dark room to find shell fragments in the crab. Works Great
Reply
- Joanne, Punta Gorda, FL
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!Reply
- lena
Thank you, this recipe was fantastic and I can’t wait to make it again!Reply
- Whitney
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.Reply
- Kathy Farrell
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.”
Reply
- Sharon Rigsby
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!Reply
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