This Instant Pot Lobster Bisque is the perfect starter for Valentine's Day or date night. It's so easy, creamy, and rich! Dairy-free and gluten-free!
Hey guys!! I'm so ridiculously happy to finally be getting this gorgeousness up on the blog! Lobster bisque is something that my husband and I make every single year on Valentine's Day and there's nothing I love more than getting to share our traditions with you!
YOU GUYS. This bisque is freaking ridiculous. It's rich, creamy and just so damn luxurious. Which, of course, is why we love to eat it for Valentine's day! But wait until you see how crazy easy it is. You're going to wonder why you've never made it before. And then you're going to want to make it all the time.
You're going to think, "I should make that bisque with shrimp! Or scallops! Or hell, even leave out the protein entirely" because the broth is just that good.
This is restaurant-quality deliciousness, my friends, so if you're like us and have no babysitter on Valentine's day (or just love cooking at home together), this is the perfect addition to your V-day (or any date night!) meal.
And did I mention that my version is dairy-free and gluten-free?! Yessss!
Also, please don't let the long recipe card make you nervous, this is actually a really easy recipe to make and I've got a whole step-by-step instruction guide with photos under the Q&A for youm just to prove it! So let's get to the Q&A!
What's the difference between a bisque and a soup?
A bisque is a type of soup that is pureed, thick and creamy. It has a velvety texture and usually includes wine and cream in its ingredients.
The instructions say that I can use 2 or 4 lobster tails, how many is best?
This is completely up to you, personally I find less to be more when it comes to bisque, but if you want to up the protein, go for it!
Can I cut this Instant Pot lobster bisque in half?
Absolutely! I made this a 4 serving recipe because I figured we weren't the only ones feeding the whole fam on Valentine's Day - and I know a lot of you guys love leftovers like I do, but feel free to cut it in half!
Should I use dry sherry or white wine?
I've tested this lobster bisque with both and they're both delicious, but if you know me, you can probably guess that I prefer the sherry. I was once told that it's my signature ingredient, I really do love it! If you pick up sherry just for this recipe, here are some other great recipes to use it in:
- Pasta with Sherry-Mushroom Meat Sauce {21 Day Fix}
- Pecorino Mashed Cauliflower with Sherry-Rosemary Mushrooms
- 21 Day Fix French Onion Soup
- Steamed Mussels in Sherry-Tomato Broth
Side note: be sure to buy regular dry sherry and not cooking sherry (I recommend Taylor brand dry sherry, btw) - there are added ingredients (like salt and preservatives) in cooking sherry and if you're doing 21 Day Fix, you're meant to stay away from those.
Can I substitute the wine altogether in lobster bisque?
Absolutely - you can replace the wine with a little extra broth.
Does lobster bisque have dairy?
Usually it has heavy cream, but not my version! My version uses creamy, buttery coconut milk instead to keep it dairy-free, but still crazy delicious!
Will this dairy-free lobster bisque taste like coconut?
Nope! My coconut hating husband and daughter both loved this and couldn't taste the coconut! It just tastes rich and creamy!
What kind of coconut milk should I buy?
This recipe calls for the full-fat coconut milk - the kind that's in the can (not the drinking, in-a-carton kind). I like to choose one that when I shake it, it feels solid and you can't feel the liquid sloshing around. Then I just use the thick, creamy part in this soup. However, if your coconut milk hasn't separated that way, no big deal!
Can lobster bisque be frozen?
Absolutely!
Can it be made ahead?
Yes! I've been eating the leftovers this week and they're just as delicious as the day I made it!
Can I make this bisque with something other than lobster?
Yep! This would be amazing with just about any seafood! And I'm telling you, the broth is so amazing, it would even be delish on its own!
Is this easy lobster bisque spicy?
Using the 1/16th of a teaspoon like the recipe calls for doesn't really make it spicy, but it gives it a good warmth. If you're not sure about the heat level, you should start with less and add a little at a time until it's where you like it.
Is this Instant Pot lobster bisque healthy?
Yes! The best part of this absolutely indulgent Instant Pot lobster bisque is that it's packed with veggies! Each bowl will give you over one serving of veggies, but you would never know by tasting it!
It's also 21 Day Fix approved and WW smart points for all plans are included in the recipe card!
What should I serve with lobster bisque?
For Valentine's Day, we always make this bisque, lean steaks (like a filet or a NY strip), baked or mashed sweet potatoes, a roasted veggie of some kind and then my Brownie-Bottom Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce. So amazing and truly as good as going to a restaurant.
However, instead of sweet potatoes this year, I think we're going to make this incredible Butternut Squash Risotto!
If you're not wanting all of that, another great option would be to have the lobster bisque with a Caesar salad with this amazing Caesar dressing and then a delish dessert (like that cheesecake or even some chocolate-covered strawberries!) afterward. ♥
How to garnish this easy Instant Pot lobster bisque?
Doesn't this soup look so fancy?! You guys, I was so proud of this bowl I literally sent a photo of it to my mother the day I took it and I (almost) never do that! BUT! The truth is that it couldn't have been easier! I piled all of the lobster meat into the center, laid 2 pieces of chives over the lobster in each bowl, sprinkled everything with a little bit of extra pepper, cayenne (you could also use paprika) and chopped chives.
For the cute white hearts, I just mixed a little bit of plain greek yogurt with a little bit of plain almond milk to thin it out some, put the mixture in a sandwich bag, snipped the tip off the bag with kitchen shears, made eight or so dots in the soup around the lobster, then swiped a toothpick straight through them all without stopping, starting with the top one until I got to the bottom.
Ok, I know that sounds like a lot but I promise it was so simple.
How to make the BEST Instant Pot Lobster Bisque:
First, prepare your lobster tails by cutting a line down the center of the back of the tail.
Now, you can either just pull back on the shell a bit...
To expose the meat...
Or you can cut them completely in half - I prefer to cut them in half like this because I find it easier to remove all of the meat after cooking.
Add broth to your pot.
Add your lobster tails and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Until the shells are bright red and the meat is cooked through.
Pull the meat from all of the shells and refrigerate until ready to add to the soup later.
Strain the broth from the pot into a measuring cup.
Add more broth until there are 2 cups total.
Give the pot a rinse, spray the bottom with olive oil cooking spray and saute the veggies.
Add the garlic.
Add the sherry.
Stir in the tomato paste.
This mixture will be thick like this.
Add the broth and then pressure cook for 8 minutes.
Put the contents in a blender and add your coconut milk.
Add in the cayenne (I also added the ⅛th teaspoon of salt).
Blend for several minutes or until super smooth and creamy and dreamy.
Hello, lover! Next, you'll just pour the broth back in the Instant Pot, along with your chopped lobster meat and heat through for a minute or two and serve!
I really hope you guys try this one for your next date night or Valentine's day, and that you love it as much as we do! And hey, if you really want to treat yourself right, you can meal prep it and have it just for you for your lunches (like my 12-year-old did last week)!
Happy early Valentine's Day, loves!!
Don’t forget to save this easy Instant Pot Lobster Bisque recipe to Pinterest! ⇓
Don't have an Instant Pot yet? I use the 6 quart Duo and love it - you can check that out right here! <- affiliate link).
Can I ask a quick favor? If you make this 21 Day Fix Lobster Bisque recipe, please let me know how it went by leaving a star rating (in the recipe card) and commenting! And if you snap a pic, I’d love for you to tag me @thefoodieandthefix on Instagram so I can check it out! I love seeing what recipes you guys are making!
📖 Recipe
Best Instant Pot Lobster Bisque
The BEST Instant Pot Lobster Bisque! So creamy, dreamy and flavorful! Perfect for Valentine's Day, plus it's gluten-free and dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 2-4 lobster tails (depending on how much lobster you want in your bisque), rinsed in cold water to remove any grit
- 2-3 cups seafood broth/stock (or clam juice or low sodium chicken broth)
- 1 ¾ cup onion, chopped (about 1 ¾ of one large onion)
- 1 ¾ cup carrots, chopped (4-5 carrots)
- 1 ½ cup celery, chopped (3-4 ribs)
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- black pepper
- ½ cup dry sherry (I recommend Taylor brand) or a dry white wine like a chardonnay
- 2 Tbs tomato paste
Finishing ingredients:
- ⅔ cup full-fat coconut milk (from a can - if the coconut milk has separated with a thick cream on the top, I usually just use that, but if it hasn't, that's fine, too!)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (if necessary)
- 1/16 teaspoon (so half of ⅛th) cayenne pepper (or more or less to taste)
- chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Prep your lobster:
To prep your lobster, you can do 1 of 2 things: you can either cut each tail completely in half, or you can just cut a straight line down the center of each tail with kitchen shears, and using your hands pull either side of the shell back a bit to expose the meat (this will make it easier to remove afterward). I find it easiest to remove the meat if I cut them completely in half. I've found that the best way is to cut the same straight line down the back of the tail with my kitchen shears, then using my chef's knife I cut through the entire tail the rest of the way.
Instant Pot Instructions:
Turn on the saute function on your Instant Pot and add 1 cup of broth to the pot. Once the broth starts to boil, add your lobster tails and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the shells have completely turned red and the meat is fully cooked. Then remove the tails from the pot and remove the meat from the shells and chop the lobster meat. Refrigerate until needed.
Using a fine-mesh strainer (or even a coffee filter), strain the remaining broth into a 2-cup or larger measuring cup, adding more broth until it is filled to the 2 cup mark.
Give your pot liner a quick rinse and spray the bottom of the inside with olive oil cooking spray. Put back on saute. Once hot, add the carrots, onions and celery, seasoning with ¼ teaspoon salt and as much black pepper as you like. Let the veggies sweat for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, then add the minced garlic and let cook a minute more.
Stir in the dry sherry and let the alcohol cook out for 2-3 minutes. Next add the tomato paste, stirring into the veggies until well distributed, then stir in the 2 cups of broth. Cover with the Instant Pot lid, turn off the saute mode and press the manual (or pressure cook) button and set for 8 minutes. Once it's finished cooking, you can immediately release the pressure.
Carefully pour or ladle the contents of the Instant Pot into a blender (depending on the size of your blender you may need to do two batches, mine was big enough that I didn't have to though) along with the coconut milk and 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or you may want to start with less) and blend for several minutes or until completely smooth. Check seasonings, if you want to add the extra salt or more cayenne, do that now. Also if you want your bisque a little thinner, you can also add a little broth and blend again (we love it exactly as written, but everyone is different). Pour the contents back into the Instant Pot, add the chopped lobster and heat on saute mode until heated through (just a minute or two will do it). Serve with some chopped chives if you like!
Stovetop Instructions:
In a medium pot, bring 1 cup of broth to a boil, then add your lobster tails and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the shells have completely turned red and the meat is fully cooked. Remove the tails from the pot, remove the meat from the shells and chop the lobster meat. Refrigerate until needed.
Using a fine-mesh strainer (or even a coffee filter), strain the remaining broth into a 2-cup or larger measuring cup, adding more broth until it is filled to the 2 cup mark.
Give your pot a quick rinse and spray the bottom of the inside with olive oil cooking spray. Heat to medium heat, then add the carrots, onions and celery, seasoning with ¼ teaspoon salt and as much black pepper as you like. Let the veggies cook until softened, stirring every now and then, then add the minced garlic and let cook a minute more.
Stir in the dry sherry and let the alcohol cook out for 2-3 minutes. Next add the tomato paste, stirring into the veggies until well distributed, then stir in the 2 cups of broth. Put a lid on your pot, but put it askew (this will keep it from boiling over while keeping it from cooking down too much). Cook for around 20-25 minutes or until the veggies are so soft that you could easily smash them with a fork (we want to make sure the bisque is super smooth!).
Carefully pour or ladle the contents of the pot into a blender (depending on the size of your blender you may need to do two batches, mine was big enough that I didn't have to though) along with the coconut milk and 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or you may want to start with less) and blend for several minutes or until completely smooth.
This should make about 5 ½ cups broth, but because in the stovetop version it may cook down a bit, you may need to add a little extra broth at the end to thin it out some to get that 5 ½ cups.
Check seasonings, if you want to add the extra salt or more cayenne, do that now. Pour the contents back into the pot, add the chopped lobster and heat through until everything is just hot. Serve with some chopped chives if you like!
Notes
21 Day Fix Container Counts: Using 2 tails: ¼ Red, 1 ¼ Green, ¼ Yellow drink swap, ½ Blue - if you're using 4 tails, it'll be ½ Red
Weight Watchers: Instant Pot Lobster Bisque
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Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: Using 2 tails: 1 ½ cups per serving; using 4 tails: 1 ¾ cups per servingAmount Per Serving: Calories: 2 tails: 188; 4 tails: 215Total Fat: 6gCarbohydrates: 20g
Geoffrey says
I made this last night for the family. Everyone loved it but I made a couple of changes. Sorry.
- Used Sea Salt and none in the finishing ingredients
- Added an extra garlic clove
- Added ¼ tsp Old Bay Seasoning to the spice will go ½ tsp next time
- Added an extra carrot and used a whole yellow onion.
- Went for a ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper (people loved the hint of heat)
- Used a little over a cup of Whipping/Heavy cream instead of coconut milk
Stephanie says
No need to apologize, happy you enjoyed!
Dominique B says
Hoping to try this for Christmas Eve! Could the recipe be doubled and still fit in the pot? Would cooking times be longer or the same? Thanks!
Stephanie says
Hi! Yes, you should easily be able to double this in a 6qt IP! Cooking times would be the same 🙂 Hope you love it!
Dominique says
Thanks! Testing it out tonight 🙂
Mrs. Jo says
I’m not the kind of person to leave comments on recipe pages—this recipe was absolutely fantastic and exceeded expectations. My husband had fond memories of lobster bisque and I wanted to make it for him for our anniversary. I did find this recipe by googling instant pot recipes for lobster bisque and while I will try that version, I did stove top.
Husband said this exceeded his memories of any restaurant version and is now the gold standard. I will definitely make this again. Thank you!
Stephanie says
Oh my goodness! This comment completely made my day, thank you so much! I'm so thrilled it was a hit for you guys!
Kelly says
This is great! I also used leeks in place of celery (can´t get it where I live) culantro and four medium lobster tails. Also added a whole fat plain yogurt on the side to cut richness. People love it! Thanks!
Stephanie says
You're so welcome! I'm so glad it was a hit for you!!
Terri says
I am so excited to try this!
Stephanie says
Hope you love it! Happy Valentine's Day!
Peggy Lipperman says
Steph, Lobster Bisque is one of my very favorites and I have never made it as I didn't want to spend the money without being sure it would be delicious! Your recipe sounds wonderful and I am going to ask your mom to help me make it in her instant pot on my very next visit! I can't wait! I am so proud to be your grandma!!
Stephanie says
I didn't know that! You guys are all going to love this one - I've been testing it for weeks and we haven't grown tired of it yet! I think it would be great with shrimp, too, which are cheaper! Love you!!