Name: Seafood Bisque
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided); 1 pound medium shrimp (peeled, deveined and cut into about ½ inch pieces); 1 pound bay scallops (cut any larger scallops into about ½ inch pieces); 1 ½ cups finely chopped celery (about 3 large stalks); 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic; ¾ cup all-purpose flour; 3 cups half-and-half; 1 (32 ounce) container seafood stock (4 cups); ¼ cup dry white wine (such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc ); 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; ½ teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste); ½ teaspoon black pepper (more or less, to taste); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)

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This bisque is rich, creamy, deliciously seasoned and loaded with an abundance of shrimp and scallops. You CAN make restaurant-quality seafood bisque right at home – and this is it! It’s a delicious appetizer (or main dish) that will have you going back for seconds.

Overhead view of seafood bisque in a white Dutch oven with a stainless ladle.

This is one of my very favorite seafood recipes and I love it year-round. Serve it with a garden salad and French bread for a complete meal that will be devoured by all!

It’s impressive enough to serve on special occasions, yet simple enough to serve as a weeknight meal. A total win-win. Can you tell I have a slight obsession with this bisque?!

Ingredients Notes

Overhead view of ingredients for making seafood bisque.

Shrimp – You’ll need one pound of medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into about ½ inch pieces. Save some time by buying your shrimp already peeled and deveined!
Scallops – Bay scallops are used in this recipe. Some of my bay scallops were on the larger side, so I cut them in half to yield approximately ½ inch bite size pieces.
Seasonings – Salt, black pepper, Old Bay Seasoning and ground nutmeg. Feel free to adjust the amounts to your personal taste.
Wine – You’ll need a dry white wine, such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. You can substitute extra seafood stock (or even chicken broth) for the wine if you choose not to use it.
Garlic – Minced fresh garlic (if you’re in a hurry, feel free to use the minced garlic that comes in a jar!).
Celery – finely chopped
Flour – all-purpose
Sugar – A little white granulated sugar adds a hint of sweetness – delicious!
Butter – I use unsalted butter so I can better control the amount of salt, but feel free to use salted if that’s what you have on-hand.
Half-and-half
Seafood stock – found in the same section of the grocery store as the chicken and beef stock and broth.

How to Make Seafood Bisque

Following is a brief overview on how to prepare – please see the recipe card at the bottom for full detailed instructions.

A collage of three images showing steps in making seafood bisque.

Melt butter in a 6 quart Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium high heat. Add shrimp and scallops and cook until all the shrimp pieces have just turned pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.
Add additional butter to the pot and melt, then add celery and cook until tender. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Slowly add flour while whisking to combine. Pour in half-and-half and seafood stock, while continuing to whisk.

A collage of two images showing steps in making seafood bisque.

Bring to a simmer and simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened (stirring frequently). Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a simmer.
Return shrimp and scallops to the pot. Add wine, Old Bay Seasoning, nutmeg, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

Overhead view of seafood bisque in a white bowl by a loaf of French bread.

I sprinkle a little additional Old Bay Seasoning and chopped fresh parsley on the bisque when serving – this is totally optional.

Front view of a bowl of seafood bisque. A bowl of salad is in the background.

Enjoy!

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Seafood Bisque

This seafood bisque is rich, creamy, deliciously seasoned and loaded with shrimp and scallops. A restaurant-quality bisque made right at home!

5 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: seafood bisque

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: cups

Author: Amy

Ingredients

6 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
1 pound medium shrimp peeled, deveined and cut into about ½ inch pieces
1 pound bay scallops cut any larger scallops into about ½ inch pieces
1 ½ cups finely chopped celery about 3 large stalks
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
¾ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups half-and-half
1 (32 ounce) container seafood stock 4 cups
¼ cup dry white wine such as pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt more or less, to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper more or less, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley optional garnish

Instructions

Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a 6 quart Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium high heat. Add shrimp and scallops and cook until all the shrimp pieces have just turned pink and are opaque, stirring frequently (about 4 minutes).
Remove shrimp and scallops with a slotted spoon and place in a large bowl, leaving juices in pot.
Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the pot with the juices and melt. Add celery and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender (stirring frequently). Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, while continuing to stir.
Slowly add flour while whisking to combine. Pour in half-and-half and seafood stock, while continuing to whisk.
Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened, stirring frequently. Reduce heat as necessary to maintain a simmer (medium to medium-low).
Return shrimp and scallops to pot. Add wine, Old Bay Seasoning, nutmeg, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
Simmer for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley when serving, if desired.

Notes

This recipe yields approximately 11 cups.
White wine can be substituted with additional seafood stock or chicken broth.
Allow any leftover bisque to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

If provided, nutritional info is a courtesy, is not guaranteed and should only be considered as a guideline.

Tried this recipe?Mention @TheBlondCook or tag #theblondcook!

Originally published February 2018. Updated with new text, new photos and republished July 2021.