Winter is the perfect season to savor the rich flavor of oysters, and this Oyster Soup recipe brings that experience to life with delicious Creole style. Starting with a creamy base, this dish highlights the fresh, briny goodness of plump oysters and their natural juices, known as oyster liquor, all enhanced by a delicate blend of herbs and spices. Often called Oyster Stew, this comforting and slightly thick soup is a warm, soulful delight that’s sure to impress—even if you’re new to Creole cooking.
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Publisher Note: This article was originally published in December 2020. This revision includes simplified instructions with photos and structural improvements to improve search results.
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Oysters in South Louisiana Cuisine
Oysters have been plentiful in the brackish coastal waters of South Louisiana since before settlers came from Europe and the Caribbean. Here, where we are blessed with a bountiful assortment of both fresh and saltwater seafood, the oyster reigns supreme. Oysters were part of the Native American diet but gained tremendous popularity as European settlers combined their techniques with a growing supply of the fresh and new ingredients found in Louisiana. Over the centuries, the oyster has become its own industry. The abundance and popularity of oysters cross all sections of Creole and Cajun cuisines and produce countless recipes. It's common to see oysters smoked, stewed, fried, used in stuffings and dressings, broiled and baked, only to name a few, and that doesn't even mention raw oysters, which are perhaps the most popular way of presenting them. Oysters along with their liquor, when used in a soup or stew, is perhaps the most regal way to prepare them. Try this recipe, you'll see why oysters are the fad that has lasted for centuries.
Here’s What You Need
Here are some of the key ingredients for this recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Oysters: Use fresh oysters and all the juice you can accumulate.Fresh Herbs: These are used in a bouquet garni to season the oyster and liquid, which is a subtle but important contribution to the flavor profile. Use your favorites: thyme, sage, oregano, basil, and bay leaves are my common choices. Fresh tarragon and marjoram are also great choices.
Fresh Herbs: These are used in a bouquet garni to season the oyster and liquid, which is a subtle but important contribution to the flavor profile. Use your favorites: thyme, sage, oregano, basil, and bay leaves are my common choices. Fresh tarragon and marjoram are also great choices.
Vegetables: The foundational flavor of this recipe is built with onions and celery. I use leeks (the white part) and green onions, along with celery. If you don't have leeks you can use white onions, yellow onions, or extra green onion white parts. Leeks need to be cleaned well, so check out the Hints and Tips section below for cleaning them.
Dairy: This is a creamy soup, so the fat in whole milk and heavy cream is important to the consistency and flavor profile. Substitute 2% milk and Half-and-Half if you need to. Butter is also important to the final consistency and flavor, olive oil or margarine are suitable substitutes.
Cookware
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Dutch oven, cutting board, measuring cups, glass measuring cups, measuring spoons, prep bowls-cambro, prep bowls-glass, whisk, chef’s knife, butcher twine, Strainer, Wooden Spoons
Hints and Tips (FAQ)
I highly recommend using whole milk to get all the flavors of the milk fat. You can use 2% milk if you would like, but I don’t recommend non-fat milk. Warm the milk before adding it to the roux mixture to avoid lumps. Whisk or stir constantly as you slowly add the milk. Once it has all been added and you have a smooth base, you can add the heavy cream cold.
Leeks can sometimes have some dirt or grit stuck between it's layers. A leek is like a bunch of tubes layered on top of each other so if you slice them crossways you will get small rings. The grit can hide between those rings. There are a few ways to clean them, but this one works for me: slice out the white section you want to use. Pull off any discolored or dried outer layers and discard them. Make a slice lengthwise to cut the leek in half, then repeat that with each half so you end up with 4 long quarters. Hold each quarter under running cold water and manipulate the layers so the water rinses out any grit. Place the cleaned leek on some paper towels to drain.
Here’s What You Do
First...you have a beer. Prepare the cook, prepare the ingredients. That starts by fully understanding the recipe. So, get a beer and sit down and read the recipe all the way through while you drink it. Know what ingredients and equipment you need, see how to prep them and then learn what you will do with all of it. Once you've figured that out, perform your mise en place and you are ready to go.
Mise en place
It’s a simple process if you are prepared. The oysters and their juice will be started in a Dutch oven with fresh herbs. Then you will build a cream-based soup to which the oyster goodness will be added at the right time.
- Make a bouquet garni by taking one or two sprigs of fresh thyme, a few fresh sage leaves, and a bay leaf, then tie them together with some butcher twine. Set that aside.
- There is no need to strain the oysters at this time because they will be added, along with their juice, to a Dutch oven in the first step.
- Finely chop the leek (white part only), green onions (white and green parts), and celery; place them all in the same prep bowl.
- Finely chop the garlic and roughly chop the parsley and place those in two separate prep bowls.
- Measure all the other ingredients and set aside.
Lagniappe Tip: You will warm the whole milk in the microwave or a saucepan prior to adding it to the Dutch oven.
Prepare the oysters
What happens in this step? My Dad called this step "scalding" the oysters. It helps to create a wonderfully herbed flavor in the oysters and the all-important oyster juice.
- Add the oysters and their juice to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the bouquet garni and bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to a heavy simmer.
- After the oysters simmer for 3 minutes, remove them with a slotted spoon (they will be curly) and set them in a strainer over a prep bowl. Continue to simmer the oyster juice and bouquet garni for 5 more minutes, then remove from the heat.
Lagniappe Tip: Once the oysters and juice are "scalded", and the oysters have been removed, discard the bouquet garni. Pass the warm oyster juice through a strainer into the same prep bowl with the oyster drippings. This will eliminate any broken shell pieces in the oyster juice. If there isn't a total of 3 cups of oyster juice, add enough cold water to make up the difference.
Start the soup-base
What happens in this step? This recipe starts with sautéed vegetables and a roux, which will create a deep flavor base and help thicken the resulting soup.
- Melt the butter in the same Dutch oven (or use a second one) over medium-high heat.
- Add the green onions, celery, and leeks to the butter. Sauté these vegetables for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. The vegetables should start to soften, but we don't want them to brown.
- To the sautéed vegetables add the garlic and creole seasoning.
- Stir well and saute until the garlic is aromatic. This will only take about 2 or 3 minutes.
Lagniappe Tip: Since the vegetables were added before the flour, this won’t look like a traditional brown roux. Our purpose here is not to add color but to provide thickening.
- Add the flour and stir constantly to make a light roux. You may want to use a whisk. Keep stirring or whisking for about 3 minutes while the flour taste cooks out.
- Add the parsley, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Stir to completely combine all the ingredients.
- Add the parsley, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Stir to completely combine all the ingredients.
Make It a Soup
What happens in this step? Now that we have the flavor base, we will add the liquids that create the soup.
- Warm the milk in the microwave or a saucepan. Increase the heat under the Dutch oven, then add the milk slowly, whisking or stirring constantly as you do. Continually whisk or stir until a smooth, thick base forms with no lumps.
- Gradually add the heavy cream to the milk and roux mixture. Bring the mixture to a heavy simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring or whisking constantly.
- Whisk or stir 3 cups of oyster liquid (add water to make 3 cups if you don’t have enough) into the cream mixture.
- Once smooth, bring it back to a heavy simmer, then lower the heat and maintain the simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered. The soup should start to thicken.
Add the oysters and finish
What happens in this step? We wait until the end to add the oysters because they cook quickly. We have built a creamy broth with great oyster flavor and not the whole oysters will round out the recipe.
- Add the oysters a few at a time, stirring well in between additions. Add a few to several dashes of Tabasco hot sauce (depending on your taste).
- Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes. Oysters cook quickly. For best results, don't go much longer than that. Stir well and taste for seasoning. Add kosher salt and black pepper and Tabasco hot sauce, if needed.
Serving Suggestions
Sprinkle parsley, chives, or green onions on top. Serve this Oyster Soup immediately. This makes a great starter or first course but is also rich and hearty enough to be the main dish. Always have some crispy French bread and a delicious Sensation Salad or a Green Salad with Creole Vinaigrette to go along with it!
This is a very rich soup and is good enough to carry the entire meal. But it also makes a very special appetizer course and a terrific way to start things off. If you are served Oyster Soup as an appetizer, you know you are in for a special meal.
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Leftover Suggestions
Leftover Oyster Soup can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days if stored in an airtight container. Before refrigerating, allow the soup to cool completely. When reheating, use a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the soup is fully warmed. If you notice the milk, cream, or butter separating, don’t worry—just stir or whisk the soup briskly until it comes back together.
Freezing Oyster Soup isn’t ideal because the creamy base can separate, and the oysters might lose some of their texture and flavor. That said, it is possible to freeze the soup for up to 3 months if stored in an airtight container. To reheat, first thaw the soup in the refrigerator. Then warm it gently in a saucepan. If you notice significant separation, you can remove the oysters with a slotted spoon, whisk the soup vigorously while it heats, and then return the oysters to the pot to warm through. If the texture still needs adjustment, whisk in a small amount of warm milk to smooth it out.
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Recipe
Oyster Soup
Here's What You Need
- 2 pints oysters
- 3 cups oyster liquor (juice) add cold water to make 3 cups if necessary
- 1 bundle fresh herbs a bouquet garni of thyme, sage and bay leaf
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 bunch green onions chopped fine about 1 cup
- 1 stalk celery chopped fine about 3 tablespoons
- 1 cup leeks white part only, about 1 leek
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- 2 tablespoons garlic chopped fine 3 cloves
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper optional
- Tabasco sauce to taste
Here's What You Do
For the oysters
- In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the oysters with their liquor.
- Add a bouquet garni consisting of fresh thyme, sage and bay leaves.
- Bring this to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to a slight simmer for about 2 minutes. The oysters will start to curl.
- Remove the oysters with a slotted spoon and set aside. Make sure to capture any liquor that comes off the oysters.
- Continue to simmer the oyster liquor and herbs for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and set aside.
For the soup base
- Melt the butter in a dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add the green onions, celery, and leeks.
- Stir well and saute for about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic and creole seasoning, mix well.
- Saute for about 2 more minutes until aromatic.
- Add the flour and stir constantly to make a light roux, about 3 minutes.
- Add the parsley and stir to completely combine all the ingredients.
- Warm the milk, then add it gradually into the roux mixture. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Gradually add the heavy cream to the cream base. Make sure a smooth sauce forms with no lumps.
- Increase heat and simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring or whisking constantly.
- Add 3 cups of oyster liquid (add water to make 3 cups if you don’t have enough).
- Bring it to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a heavy simmer for about 15 minutes, uncovered, while the soup thickens.
Add oysters and serve
- Add the oysters plus any liquid that has accumulated with them and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.
- Season with kosher salt, black pepper and Tabasco hot sauce.
- Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Estimate
It's Me!
Louisiana is a wonderful place where the rich cultural heritage enriches and entertains. I'm Dave Howson, aka Sweet Daddy D. I'm glad you found my website and I look forward to exploring the cultural mosaic of Louisiana with you…
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Diane DeSalvo
Planning to make for Christmas Brunch. Read recipe and know this soup is going to be good! Your step by step instruction is great for beginner cooks which I am not, but I still appreciate the detailing. 🦪🥣🥖🙂
Thank you,
Diane
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, Diane. I appreciate the kind words, let me know how it turns out.
Cynthia Vice-Arriaga
Can't wait to try this!
Sweet Daddy D
Thanks, hope you like it! Enjoy!