As Halloween and Thanksgiving approach, this hearty Crawfish and Pumpkin Bisque defines the holiday season in Acadiana for me and represents the best of rural farm-to-table sourcing. Combining the sweet tail meat of crawfish and fresh seasonal corn cut from the cob, it is certainly a winning combination. But, when you introduce pumpkin along with curry powder and cane molasses, it takes on an even more pronounced flavor. Sweet, spicy, and warming on a cool and crisp Fall day.
Crawfish and Pumpkin Bisque is a perfect seasonal soup built on a down-home Cajun recipe.. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Years ago, Jeremy Langlois, head chef at Latil’s Landing Restaurant at Houmas House Plantation, created a spectacular recipe that has become one of my favorite seasonal offerings – Bisque of Curried Pumpkin, Crawfish and Corn.
When Chef Jeremy set out to make this dish he gave it a West Indies flair, and I presume this soup would be right at home in a Caribbean kitchen. He is perfectly aligned in adapting this dish to our Creole taste buds with the African-influenced island spices we have embraced here in South Louisiana. This great dish is just one reason Chef Jeremy was invited to cook at the James Beard House.
With my recipe for Crawfish and Pumpkin Bisque, I have adapted this dish with a few tweaks here and there. For instance, I’ve replaced syrup with dark sugarcane molasses for a richer taste more associated with Cajun and Creole cooking. I urge you to make more of this than you will need since it will go fast. In fact, I have scaled the original recipe up, doubling the amount of crawfish.
As a starter, I like to put this Crawfish and Pumpkin Bisque out hours before dinner is served with cup portions available when guests arrive. The comforting smiles on the faces of your friends and family will signal the season is finally here.
Crawfish and Pumpkin Bisque – spicy curry and sweet pumpkin balance with Caribbean and Cajun recipe ingredients.
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups diced onions
- 1 cup diced green bell pepper
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1⁄2 cup minced garlic
- 1 cup white all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugarcane molasses, such as Steen’s
- ¼ cup yellow curry powder, plus more if needed
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 3 quarts crawfish or shrimp stock, plus more if needed
- 1 (14 ounce) can of unsweetened pumpkin pulp
- 3 cups fresh yellow corn kernels
- 2 pounds peeled Louisiana crawfish tails
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, green and red bell pepper, and celery. Cook just until translucent and then add the garlic. Lower the heat to medium and add the flour and stir the mixture for 5 minutes as you cook the flour taste out and form a blond roux.
- Stir in the molasses and curry powder as well as the turmeric to achieve the golden yellow color of this dish. Add the crawfish stock, pumpkin and the corn. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue cooking for 15 minutes.
- Add the Louisiana crawfish tails and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Add the heavy whipping cream and stir to combine. Taste the bisque and season with salt and pepper. Add more curry if needed to achieve the pronounced flavor you desire.
- At this point, you can turn off the heat and hold for serving later. Just before serving bring it back to a simmer, stir the bisque and check for thickness. If it is too thick then add a little more of the stock to thin it to your desired consistency. Serve with crusty French bread.
This Crawfish and Pumpkin Bisque will become a seasonal tradition for your family.
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I made this with shrimp (no crawfish available) and it was fabulous! Received wonderful feedback and multiple requests for the recipe – thank you!
TBH – I was skeptical re the pumpkin, but am a true convert.
Hey Marion-
Thanks for sharing your success. All the best.
Cannot wait to try this! Love the twist on an old favorite. Ordered your cookbook as well.
Hey Brian- Yes, I love the challenge of taking a tried and true Cajun classic recipe and adding a new dimension. Glad you liked it, and thanks for ordering the cookbook. All the best.
Where do you normally see pumpkin pulp?
Joey – Pumpkin pulp or puree is canned and sold in most supermarkets. Be sure to buy “pure” unsweetened pumpkin. Here is a link to pure pumpkin. All the best.
Fabulous recipe!!!
Do you have a yellow curry recommendation? 1/4 cup seems like a lot and I want to make sure I’m using the right thing!
Stacey- Importantly, I am using curry powder, not curry paste. Feel free to use a common brand like McCormick.
Can you show how much C’est Tout for the amount of Trinity veggies?
John- As per C’est Tout, 4 tablespoons rehydrates to one cup of vegetables, so adjust accordingly in any recipes. All the best.
I made this recipe today, verbatim, using concentrated shrimp stock made from 10-12 count fresh Gulf shrimp heads and shells, no seasoning of the stock. It was wonderful, according to my wife. I never eat my cooking until the day after to allow the flavors to meld. I’m looking forward to tomorrow! Another great winner!
Hey Walter – Awesome review, and I hope you tell us more after you have a bowl. Thanks for the delightful comment, and thanks for using Gulf shrimp. Eat local!