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Feb 3, 2024

Corn and Crab Bisque

This corn and crab bisque is absolutely elegant and flavorful, and is the perfect soup for a dinner party.

Corn and Crab Bisque in two white bowls with bread slices.


This corn and crab bisque is spicy and rich, and the mix of the sweet corn and crab spiced with cayenne is reminiscent of the flavors of Louisiana. 

The soup is pretty easy to make. The hardest part is cutting the kernels off the corn cobs. When I tasted this soup after making it, I pretty much jumped up and down. The soup was that good. 

This recipe was inspired by a recipe in Around the World in 450 Recipes, a book I received from Emily, aka Yinzerella of Dinner is Served for a food bloggers' cookbook exchange back in 2014. Emily started her blog to cook through her gramsy's recipe box of Dinner is Served recipe cards. She's into vintage cooking and cocktails. 

Photo of a cookbook.


This post was originally published February, 2014 and updated February, 2024 with new photos and updated ingredients. 

Ingredient List: 

Corn: You will need eight ears of corn. Buy corn on the cob to use the cobs for creating the stock. To make fast work of stripping the corn from the cob, I love the OXO Corn Prep Peeler. I'm trying to avoid buying single use kitchen gadgets, but this one is worth it if you like fresh corn. 

Crab: While the original recipe calls for using a whole cooked crab, I used the canned lump crab meat that you can find in the refrigerated section of your grocery store or Costco. You can also use a combination of lump and claw crab meat. 

Seafood Base: The original recipe calls for using the shells of the crab for the stock. If you use a whole cooked crab, just throw the shells into the stock as you are making it and you can skip the base (but be sure to add more salt to the final bisque). Any lobster base, shrimp base, or fish stock base will work. I like to save shrimp shells to make my own shrimp base concentrate to use for soups. 

Vegetable Base: I also added some concentrated vegetable bouillon to the stock. 

Pantry and Refrigerator Ingredients: Heavy cream, butter, flour, white and black pepper, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, hot sauce, and salt, if needed. 

Scallions: Add freshly sliced scallions at the end. 

Corn and Crab Bisque in two white bowl.


Process for Making this Bisque: 

First, strip the kernels from the corn cobs and place the cobs into a stock pot filled with water. Add some bay leaves and the bouillons and boil the cobs for 30 minutes. Remove them, and then continue boiling for another 10 minutes to concentrate the flavors. 

Next, create a roux by cooking butter and flour until browned and then mixing it into the stock. 

Finally, add the cream, the crab, the scallions, and the seasonings, and simmer everything for two minutes. 

Corn and Crab Bisque in two white bowls.


Make-Ahead and Serving Suggestions: 

You can definitely make this soup in advance and refrigerate it for the next day or two. 

This soup is wonderful as a starter or appetizer. It's also fabulous as a main course for lunch along with a salad and French bread or garlic bread. 

If You Love Corn Soup: 

I have so many soup recipes that include corn! Here are just a few. Use the search box to find more: 

Chicken and Corn Soup

Mexican-Style Corn Soup

Corn Soup with Seared Scallops

Lamb, Summer Squash, Black Bean, and Corn Soup

Sausage, Bell Pepper, and Corn Soup

Sopa de Elote

Lobster Wonton Corn Chowder

Beer and Smoked Sausage Corn Chowder


Corn and Crab Bisque in a white bowl.


Homemade Soup Recipes from the Sunday Funday Group: 


 

Corn and Crab Bisque in two white bowls with bread slices.



Corn and Crab Bisque

Corn and Crab Bisque
Yield: 8 servings
Author: Karen's Kitchen Stories
Prep time: 30 MinCook time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 30 M
This corn and crab bisque is absolutely elegant and flavorful, and is the perfect soup for a dinner party.

Ingredients

  • 8 ears of fresh corn
  • 12 1/2 cups cold water
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon seafood, shrimp, or lobster base (in lieu of the bouillons/soup bases, you can add crab or shrimp shells to the broth with the corn cobs)
  • 1 tablespoon concentrated vegetable bouillon or vegetable base
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pound lump crab meat or a 50/50 mixture of lump and claw meat
  • 8 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon of hot sauce, plus more to taste
  • salt to taste

Instructions

  1. Remove the husks and silk from the corn and discard.
  2. Cut the kernels from the corn cobs and set aside.
  3. Place the stripped cobs into an 8 quart pot and cover with the water. Add the bay leaves and bouillons/soup bases.
  4. Bring the pot to a boil, and boil for 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the cobs and bay leaves from the pot, and discard. Boil hard for another 10 minutes to reduce.
  6. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour and stir over low heat until creamy and golden. Add about a cup of the corn broth to the pan and whisk until thickened. Add the flour mixture to the broth and bring to a boil.
  7. Add the corn kernels and boil for about 5 to 10 minutes, to taste.
  8. One ingredient at a time, stir in the cream, crab, scallions, peppers, cayenne, hot sauce, and salt and simmer for another two minutes.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

315

Fat (grams)

21 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

12 g

Carbs (grams)

21 g

Fiber (grams)

2 g

Net carbs

18 g

Sugar (grams)

7 g

Protein (grams)

15 g

Cholesterol (grams)

84 mg
corn, crab, bisque
soup
Southern, Cajun
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Would you like to comment?

  1. I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe!
    And, your pictures are lovely.

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  2. Karen...that crab and corn bisque looks so lush! What a great choice. I actually have that book, but have yet to make anything from it! This looks like it might be a good recipe to start with! And Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day is a fabulous book, too! Perfect coming from a "bread head" like you!.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Anne! I changed up the bisque a bit because I didn't want to buy a whole crab, but I was not disappointed at all.

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  3. I am loving that you jumped up and down over this bisque-- true sign of a well-cooked meal! I'll have to try it. I love bisque of all kinds!

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    1. It is delicious. It's not often that I go crazy over a dish like I did this one. Except bread of course. =)

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  4. Thank you so much for participating in the swap and helping to make it a success! The book you received looks like a real winner - I love traveling using my meals. And that Corn and Crab Bisque - killer!

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  5. That's one of my absolute favorite soups. What a great book to receive!

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  6. Thank you thank you thank you!! I love the cookbook choice you gave me! And the one you received sounds pretty awesome as well! Cooking through the world's cuisines is a great way to "travel".

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  7. The bisque sounds out of this world - such a lovely combo! And the book sounds like yet another that I want on my shelves ;).

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  8. Yum! That looks so good! This was really fun, wasn't it? I'd rather see a blog photo that focuses on the food than one that looks like a still life.

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  9. Too funny! I have this book - I need to look up this soup - sound wonderful. Thanks so much for participating in the swap :)

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  10. This was so fun! I've not seen the book you received before, but it sure sounds like a great addition. Oh, and the bisque sounds scrumptious!

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  11. Perfect time to reshare this recipe with Mardi Gras coming up next week. It sounds and looks wonderful.

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  12. Now you've gone and done it...I will be drooling over crab bisque for the entire day...possibly week. This sounds fantastic...especially with some crusty bread to dip in it. I guess I'll be picking up some crab meat the next time I'm at Costco!!!

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  13. This bisque looks and sounds amazing! I can't wait to try it and I know my mom will love it - she's been on a crab kick lately.

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  14. Jake's favorite soup is a lobster bisque. I will have to try this one for him soon. Thanks for sharing.

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  15. It has been a while since I've cooked from a recipe book. Hubby loves seafood based soups and if this Corn and Crab Bisque can be made from canned crab, it sounds good to me.

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  16. Sounds jumping-up-and-down delicious! Thanks for all the tips you included regarding the ingredients.

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  17. A treat for crab lovers, hearty soup.

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  18. This is a beautiful crab and corn soup. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Velva

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