Instant Pot Lobster Bisque

I wanted to try to make a lobster bisque that didn’t have a fully thickened roux base, somewhat similar to the lobster bisque that we used to get at a restaurant in Put-In-Bay called The Boardwalk. I decided to use vegetables as my thickener.

Celery, onions and carrots provide the majority of the thickness. Better Than Bullion Lobster Base adds a really nice lobster flavor!

OK. I realize this just looks gross, but in fact it was delicious. I saved and froze several shells from lobster tails, and shrimp peels, and made a stock out of them with some carrots, celery and leeks. I am currently using the Instant Pot Max and I LOVE IT. I cooked the stock for about 40 minutes on high pressure to get all the delicious flavor out of it.

I sauteed the vegetables for several minutes in 2 tablespoons of butter.

Then added the stock back to the pot, along with some stock cubes (added to contribute a velvety texture)…

…and spices (onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper and cayenne pepper). And cooked for 20 minutes on high pressure.

After cooking I pureed the base until smooth. I’m currently using the Breville immersion blender and it is amazing. It’s the most powerful blender I’ve used by far. I finished the base off with tomato paste, sherry and heavy cream (just a touch). Also 2 tablespoons (or to taste) Better than Bullion Lobster base. You’ll notice I omitted salt earlier in the process. I was going for maximum lobster flavor and the lobster base does contain a fair amount of sodium (as do all bases).

And added the chopped lobster. SO GOOD.

The lobster came from Great Alaska Seafood. I just heated through so as not to overcook the lobster.

This was amazing and slightly healthier than your standard lobster bisque.

IF YOU LIKE THIS RECIPE YOU WILL ALSO LIKE:

• Instant Pot Chicken, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup
• Instant Pot Florentine Tomato Soup
• Instant Pot Healthier Cream of Chicken Soup
• Instant Pot Caldo de Cameron (Shrimp) Soup
• Instant Pot Santa Fe Soup
• Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
• Instant Pot Cauliflower Beer Cheese Soup
• Instant Pot Beer Potato Cheese Soup
• Instant Pot Mushroom Bisque

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Instant Pot Lobster Bisque

A slightly healthier version, but still very flavorful! Made easy with the Instant Pot.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Course: Soup

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the stock

• 4 cups water
• Shells of shellfish
• Leek greens or onion pieces
• Celery a couple of decent sized stalks
• Carrots a couple chopped roughly

For the bisque

• 3 stock cubes
• 1 ½ cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 ¼ cup diced onion
• 1 pound chopped lobster
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons Better Than Bullion Lobster Base
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup dry Sherry or to taste
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste

Instructions

For the stock:

• Pressure cook ingredients on high for 45 minutes. Strain stock.

For the bisque:

• Sauté onions, celery, and carrots in 2 tablespoons butter until softened. Add back the stock that you made, the stock cubes, and the sherry to the sautéed vegetables. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes. Puree until smooth. Add tomato paste, Better Than Bullion (to taste) and heavy cream, and warm through. Add lobster and heat until warmed through (I used the Instant Pot set to high slow cook for about 20 minutes).