This luxurious soup is the perfect way to show off your culinary skills to dinner guests. It’s simple to make but the end result is something truly special. Lobster velouté is a classic French soup that is usually served as a starter. Our version is made with a lobster stock, which is then thickened with a roux. Finally, we add some smoked paprika oil to give the soup a little bit of a kick. This soup can be made ahead of time and reheated when you’re ready to serve it. Just make sure to give it a good stir before serving.
Ingredients
- 1 lobster, about 1 kg
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 leek, white part only, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 60 g butter
- 60 g flour
- 2 L chicken stock
- 1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
- 1/2 bunch thyme, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Method
1. In a large pot, add the lobster and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the lobster from the pot and set aside to cool. Reserve the cooking water.
2. In the same pot, sauté the onion, celery, carrot, leek, and garlic in the butter until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Pour in the chicken stock and reserved cooking water. Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and smoked paprika. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the soup from the heat and let it cool slightly. Carefully purée the soup using a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot.
4. Cut the lobster meat into bite-sized pieces and add it to the soup. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the soup hot, garnished with a drizzle of olive oil.
Potential changes & improvements
If you want to make this soup vegetarian, you can use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock. You could also add some diced potatoes when you’re sautéing the vegetables. For a bit of extra richness, you could stir in some cream just before serving.
What other food it works well with
This soup goes well with a simple green salad and some crusty bread. You could also serve it as a first course before a steak dinner.
Common Mistakes
One common mistake when making this soup is to overcook the lobster. This will make the lobster tough and rubbery. Another mistake is to purée the soup too finely. You want there to be some texture to the soup, so don’t purée it completely smooth.
Nutritional Information
This soup is high in protein and low in fat. It is also a good source of vitamins A, C, and B12.
Allergens
This soup contains lobster, butter, chicken stock, and flour. It does not contain any major allergens.