- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
This is my dairy-free version of Lobster Bisque, the grandiose of soups. The creaminess comes from the purée of roasted cauliflower that is incorporated into the soup.
If you are looking for a recipe that substitutes heavy cream with a vegetable for the closest adaptation of traditional lobster bisque, then this is for you!
Lobster bisque warms the heart and sparks romance like none other. If available, I try to use whole lobster and boil the shells first to use in the stock for this super-rich entrée—again, I use the term entrée as the original meaning, which is the entry to, or first coarse of, a meal—otherwise, I get the 4-6 ounce lobster tails in the butcher’s case.
Shrimp powder can be used instead of the shrimp shells. You don’t have to run out to get it, but use it if you have it.
You can find pouches of dried shrimp in most Mexican and Asian aisles of grocery stores. This time, I used shrimp shells from the shrimp cocktails that we enjoyed for lunch.
Lastly, you can reserve some of the cooked shellfish meat to use as garnish, but sometimes I shred all the meat to present a bowl of pure, creamy bliss without the distraction of mixed textures.
A traditional French lobster bisque requires straining, but I never do. It’s perfectly smooth enough for me, by virtue of the immersion blender.
Ingredients
Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 ounces of tomato paste
- 1 small head of cauliflower
- 2 tablespoons granulated garlic
- 2 ears of sweet corn, roasted in husks
- 1 pound of lobster tail meat (or 4–6 ounces of tails)
- 6–12 shrimp shells (or 1 teaspoon dried shrimp powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 4 teaspoons of cognac or brandy
Instructions
- Roast the corn and cauliflower at the same time. To roast the corn, place the ears, in their husks, directly on the oven rack.
- Roast at 400ºF for 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the husks and all the silk. Scrape the corn kernels from the cobs with a sharp paring knife. Set the kernels aside.
- To prepare the cauliflower, remove all the green leaves and save them for another purpose or discard them. Set the cauliflower head in a deep, round, oven-proof dish.
- Rub all over with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with the granulated garlic, and press into the oil.
- Roast along with the corn. Set aside 20 minutes. Chop the cauliflower into the smallest florets.
- Remove the raw lobster meat from the shells. In a large, deep sauce pan, warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the shallot over medium heat.
- Add lobster and shrimp shells and cover with water and wine. Cover and simmer at a low boil for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop and shred the lobster meat. You can keep a few chunks whole for garnish.
- Remove the shells from the stock pan and discard them. Stir in the tomato paste. Add the lobster meat and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and liquify all ingredients with a hand-held immersion blender. Simmer for 5 minutes, uncovered, so the creamy soup reduces and thickens. The starch in the corn will also thicken the bisque.
- Meanwhile, warm the cognac or brandy over low heat, or preferably in a microwave oven. Do not boil; just let it steam a little.
- Ladle bisque into small soup bowls. Pour 1/4 of the cognac or brandy into the center of each bowl of bisque and top with the solid lobster chunks.
- Serve immediately with a brut rosé champagne or even a dry Reisling.
