45-Minute Healthy Cajun Seafood Bisque (Dairy-Free)
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium sweet potato (300g), peeled/cubed
1 yellow (or white) onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 green bell pepper (chopped)
2 tbsp tomato paste
Custom Cajun Blend: 2 tbsp Taco Titan, 2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp sage, 1-2 tsp white pepper.
5 cups seafood stock
2 lbs mixed seafood (shrimp, cod, salmon, crab – whatever you have in your fridge)
1 tbsp cold butter (OPTIONAL) – added at the end for creaminess
Steps
Step 1
Build the Base (Choose Your Path)
Option A: The Home Cook Hack
Bundle your raw shrimp shells and bay leaves in cheesecloth and tie into a sachet. Sauté your onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic in a little oil until softened. Add the tomato paste and your DIY Cajun mixture. Bloom the spices for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the sweet potato, stock, and drop in the sachet.
Option B: The Restaurant Chef Method (My Favorite)
Sauté the shrimp shells in butter and olive oil until they turn a bright, vibrant pink and smell incredible. Transfer those toasted shells to a cheesecloth sachet with bay leaves. In that same “flavor-coated” pot, sauté your veggies until softened. Add the tomato paste and spices, bloom for 2 minutes, then add the sweet potato, stock, and the sachet.
Step 2
Simmer for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Remove the sachet (squeeze it out to get every drop of flavor!). Use an immersion blender until the base is completely smooth and velvety. If it’s too thick, add a splash of stock.
Step 3
Turn the heat to low. Add your seafood in stages—firmer fish first (like cod), then shrimp and scallops, etc and finally any pre-cooked ingredients like crab or crawfish just to warm through. This prevents the seafood from getting rubbery.
Step 4
Stir in a little grass-fed butter (or olive oil for dairy-free) and a heavy squeeze of lemon. Garnish with fresh parsley and my Lemon Pepper Blend to cut through the sweetness of the potato.