Humarsúpa Icelandic Langoustine Soup with Cognac and Cream

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-10-10 · Updated 2026-10-10

A rich, velvety langoustine soup in the style of Iceland's south coast, made from a deep shell stock with tomato, cognac and cream, then topped with butter-seared langoustine tails. This Icelandic-inspired seafood recipe, ready in about 85 minutes, pairs whole langoustines (Icelandic humar), unsalted butter, olive oil for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 430 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 kg whole langoustines (Icelandic humar)
• 40 g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 60 ml cognac
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 1.2 liters fish stock
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• 250 ml heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp mild curry powder
• to taste sea salt and cayenne
• 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

The stock pot we’d simmer this in → Best Stock Pots for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Twist the tails off the langoustines, then peel them, keeping all heads and shells. Devein the tails and refrigerate them.
2. Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the shells and heads and roast for 5 minutes, crushing them with a wooden spoon.
3. Step 3: Add the shallots, carrot, celery and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
4. Step 4: Pour in the cognac and carefully flambé, or let it reduce. Add the wine and reduce by half.
5. Step 5: Add the fish stock and thyme and simmer for 40 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve, pressing hard on the shells.
6. Step 6: Return the stock to the pot and reduce to about 900 ml. Add the cream and curry powder, simmer for 5 minutes, then season with salt and cayenne.
7. Step 7: Melt the butter in a skillet and sear the langoustine tails for 1 minute per side.
8. Step 8: Ladle the soup into bowls, add the tails, and garnish with dill.