Not only is this slow cooker Key West crab and lobster bisque easy to make but it’s supremely satisfying too! Every mouthful of this crockpot seafood bisque boasts seafood flavours and a rich, creamy texture you will love. This creamy seafood soup is the best bisque recipe, so add it to the menu soon!
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This elegant seafood crockpot meal includes lobster as well as crab. Tomato bisque with crab and lobster makes an impressive lunch or appetizer if you have company over.
Don’t worry if you haven’t worked with fresh seafood much before. You can buy prepared lobster and crab meat so you don’t have to dissect any animals yourself!
Slow Cooker Creamy Seafood Soup Ingredients
There are quite a few ingredients in this best bisque recipe but nothing that’s hard to find. First of all you’ll need seafood. You can either buy a cooked lobster or cook your own or simply purchase lobster meat which is removed from the shell. The same applies to the crabmeat. Oh, and you also need a couple of small lobster tails.
Now I did use the lobster shell to make the broth. It gives a more intense seafood flavour to the bisque and is discarded after. However, if you don’t have the shells that is fine. You can just omit the shell from the recipe.
I know you can get seafood alternatives like ‘krab’ or surimi. However, with such a classy, full-flavoured soup, I’d really recommend using fresh seafood for the most delicious result!
The shallot, garlic, Old Bay seasoning, red pepper, garlic and onion powders, and chopped chives add a wealth of flavours to the seafood crockpot meal. You will notice none of these ingredients are especially strong or spicy. That’s why we are using these, since you won’t want to overpower the delicate seafood taste.
Butter, rice wine vinegar, stock, celery, onion, cream, and tomatoes also feature in this slow cooker Key West crab and lobster bisque.
You can make any changes to this crockpot seafood bisque you like. I already touched upon your options for the seafood. You could also sub chicken or fish broth for the veggie stock. Yellow or white onion would be alternatives to the red onion and shallot.
As for the Old Bay Seasoning, Cajun seasoning is similar (but not quite the same). You could also just use some of the components in Old Bay seasoning, such as seafood seasoning, celery salt, paprika, and chilli powder. Use your judgment when preparing this seafood crockpot meal and I’m sure it’ll come out really tasty.
Slow Cooker Creamy Seafood Soup Instructions
So how do you make tomato bisque with crab and lobster in a slow cooker? First of all you should remove the seafood from the shells. Be careful not to leave any bits of shell in there!
Fry the lobster shell (yes the shell!) in oil then add the celery and red onion. Turn the heat down, add the stock (broth) and then sieve out the solids. Combine the garlic and shallot with the butter and vinegar and add this to the broth. Then you can add some pieces of lobster tail.
Next in the best bisque recipe, it’s time to get the crockpot out! I’ve been playing around with Instant Pot recipes more than crockpot ones as of late, but this slow cooker key west crab and lobster bisque develops a lot of flavour in there, so it’s definitely a crockpot recipe.
Add the prepared broth to your crockpot along with the tomatoes and seasonings. Give the mixture 5 hours on low without removing the lid.
You can add the lobster tails half an hour before the end. When they turn red, this means they’re done. Chop the seafood from the refrigerator and season with Old Bay seasoning.
Use an immersion blender to mix the soup mixture then stir in the cream, chives and prepared seafood. Yes you can use a regular blender but this soup is hot and you don’t want to blow the lid off with the steam! This can be painful and messy, so if you have an immersion blender (stick blender) use that instead.
I like to add croutons, parmesan and parsley as a garnish when making slow cooker key west crab and lobster bisque. Since this is the best bisque recipe I ever tried it’s worth taking care with the recipe, checking the flavours as it progresses, and adding an elegant garnish.
How to Serve the Best Bisque Recipe
Ladle the crockpot seafood bisque into serving bowls and serve hot. You might like to have crusty bread alongside this slow cooker creamy seafood soup either along with, or instead of, the croutons.
Slow Cooker Key West Crab and Lobster Bisque Recipe
Slow Cooker Key West Crab and Lobster Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 lobster whole, cooked
- 1/2 Pound crab meat Alaskan king, chopped
- 2 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper coarse
- 1 Cup celery chopped
- 1 red onion diced
- 32 Ounces vegetable stock
- 4 Tablespoon butter
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 Cloves garlic minced
- 2 Cans diced tomatoes Italian style, 14 Ounce cans
- 1 Cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 lobster tails small
- 1/2 Tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 Teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon onion powder
- 1 Pint heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon chives fresh chopped
Instructions
- Use a meat mallet or a or a rolling pin to crush the shell of the cooked lobster and set shell aside. Remove lobster meat and place in the fridge with the crab meat for later.
- Heat a deep skillet over medium high heat and add olive oil. Once hot add the lobster shell, salt, and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, then add diced celery and diced red onion. Cook for 2 minutes, then lower heat to a simmer and add vegetable broth. Cook for 10 minutes. Pour broth into a bowl with a pour spout and discard the shells
- In the same skillet, add butter and rice wine vinegar. Once melted, add minced garlic and shallot and cook for 1 minute. Add to the broth.
- Cut the lobster tail right where the tail starts to fan out (about 2” from the end) and add that small section of the tail to the broth. Refrigerate the rest of the lobster tails for later use.
- Pour broth into the slow cooker. Add canned tomatoes, Cherry tomatoes, old Bay seasoning, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and onion powder. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
- During the final 30 minutes of cooking time, add the lobster tails to the slow cooker and cook until red.
- Take the meat from the whole lobster and crab out of the fridge and chop. Remove all of the shelled lobster tails from the soup. Take the meat out of the shells and chop. (Discard shells)
- Combine lobster and crab meat in a medium mixing bowl and season with remaining old bay seasoning.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup mixture in the slow cooker. Stir in the heavy cream, chives, lobster, and crab meat.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, shaved Parmesan, and croutons.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Try this tomato bisque with crab and lobster for yourself. I promise this is going to be the best slow cooker Key West crab and lobster bisque you ever tasted!
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a storyteller, food lover, dog mom and adventure seeker living on the Pacific coast. She shares her passion for food, dogs, fitness, adventures, travel and philanthropy, in hopes of encouraging followers to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places and stand for a cause. Bella lives with Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
I love bisque! I am saving this to try to make it.