Salmon Bisque: A Fantastic and Easy Bisque Recipe (2024)

I’m going to take a wild guess and say you’ve probably never had a salmon bisque. It’s a bit of an unusual seafood soup recipe. You don’t see fish bisque recipes very often, if at all.

But salmon makes a fantastic bisque. And, as opposed to lobster bisque, you can make it in a fraction of the time, making it a surprisingly easy salmon soup recipe.

Now it should be mentioned that a true bisque is made with shellfish and not fish (or god forbid, tomatoes). It’s actually the shells of shellfish which are the key ingredient. When simmered in water with aromatics and other herbs and vegetables, they make a rich, luscious, and deeply flavored stock. That’s why you’ll find so many lobster bisque, crab bisque, and shrimp bisque recipes.

Fish broth, wonderful as it is in many fish soups, chowders, and stews, is just not flavorful enough for a bisque. But that doesn’t mean you can’t make a great salmon bisque recipe. Salmon, in particular, with its unique, almost shellfish-like flavor, when paired with a rich shellfish stock and/or clam juice can make an incredible salmon bisque!

4 Reasons to Make Salmon Bisque

1. It’s a lot easier than lobster bisque

Lobster bisque is rarely made by home cooks because it’s just too time-intensive. You have to cook the lobsters first, cool them down, then crack them open and pick out the meats (which can be tiring and tedious), return the shells to the water, and then make and strain the stock. That’s about a two-hour process. Once you’re done with that, then you make the bisque!

But with a salmon bisque, you can use clam juice in place of lobster stock. And all you need is a fillet or two of salmon. From start to finish it only takes about 30 to 40 minutes.

2. Salmon bisque is cheaper than lobster bisque

Lobsters ain’t cheap! Salmon isn’t either but it’s more affordable than those dang delicious but pricey bottom feeders.

3. The only bisque you’ve ever had is lobster bisque

99% of the time it’s the only bisque option you’ll find in restaurants. Why not try something new?

4. Salmon bisque tastes incredible

I recently hosted a bisque-tasting party at my house. I know, who the hell does that?! This weirdo, that’s who.

But, in my defense, I am in the process of writing a cookbook on New England seafood soups (perhaps that makes me even weirder) and I’m currently working on the bisque chapter (Update: New England Soups from the Sea is now available!).

Available Now!

From Rhode Island to Maine—Get 80 locally inspired recipes that honor the traditions of America’s northeast.

TAKE A LOOK INSIDE!

See Also

20 Money-Saving Recipes to Make in a Crock-Pot60 Salmon Recipes That Prove It's The Best Fish In the SeaBaked Salmon Meatballs with Creamy Avocado Sauce RecipeLow Carb Keto Salmon Patties Recipe (Salmon Cakes) | Wholesome Yum

So I invited some local seafoodie friends over to try out four different types of bisques. Guess which one was the consensus favorite?

That’s right. Everyone loved it. This was my gut feeling because when I first made it I could not believe how good it was. It was so bisque-like that you’d never know it wasn’t a true bisque. However, I still felt like I needed some confirmation and feedback from some friends. I’m glad they loved it as much as I did. I’m confident you will too!

More Bisque Recipes to Try

• Clam Bisque
• Scallop Bisque with Sage
• Mussel Bisque with Fennel
• Easy Crab Bisque with Tarragon

More Salmon Soup Recipes to Try

• Fiskesuppe
• Lohikeitto
• Fish Head Soup
• Wild Salmon Chowder

Salmon Bisque Ingredients

The following ingredients are for a serving size of about 5 to 6 people.

• 4TBSPsof unsalted butter
• 1medium-sizedyellow onion
• 1stalkcarrot
• 1stalkcelery
• 2clovesgarlic
• 1bay leaf
• 4cupsclam brothor lobster stock
• ¼cupsherry or more!
• 1 14-ounce candiced tomatoes
• 1TBSPtomato paste
• ¼cupwhite rice
• 1poundfresh salmon, preferably wild
• ½cuploosely packed chopped fresh dill or more!
• 1-2cupsheavy cream
• Sea saltto taste

How to Make Salmon Bisque with Dill

Step 1. Saute the vegetables in butter

Melt butter over medium heat in a medium-sized stock pot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and bay leaf and saute for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the garlic cloves in the last minute.

Step 2. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, broth/stock, sherry, and white rice

It will look like tomato soup at this point.

Bring it to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to a steady boil. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Remove the bay leaf.

Step 3. Add the salmon

Simmer gently for a few minutes until it’s cooked. The meat will turn more of a pink color.

Step 4. Puree the bisque

Turn the heat off.

You can use either a blender or a handheld immersion blender. I would highly recommend the latter as it’s much easier and safer. Regardless of which you choose, be very careful when blending hot soup as it can easily splatter. For an immersion blender, make sure it’s fully submerged underneath the liquid to prevent splattering. Start slow, like so…

Keep blending for a few minutes or so until the bisque becomes smooth, like so…

Step 5. Add 1 cup of the heavy cream

Stir it in well. It will lighten the color of the bisque slightly, like so…

See Also

Salmon Gravlax Recipe | Sur La Table

Taste the salmon bisque. Make whatever adjustments in flavor you desire. Add up to 1 more cup of heavy cream for added richness. Add salt, to taste, if needed. And add more sherry, if needed, for a boost of sweetness.

Step 6. Add dill

Stir it in well, like so…

Step 7. Ladle into individual bowls and add optional seasonings, to taste

Optional seasonings include a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, salt, a splash of sherry, a pinch of nutmeg, and more fresh dill!

Salmon Bisque Full Recipe