Creamy Shrimp Bisque ~ it’s a little bit retro, a little bit ‘ladies who lunch’, but this delicious shrimp chowder is ready for a comeback! Enjoy it as an appetizer in small bowls, or as a light meal with a chunk of bread and a salad.
shrimp bisque is a creamy French shellfish soup, alot like a chowder, but bumped up a notch
Seafood bisques are definitely of the last century, but that doesn’t mean we should let them languish there. These elegant soups have so much to offer, from their creamy texture and beautiful pale pink color to their supercharged flavors. And while lobster and crab might be too pricey for everyday, shrimp is easy to come by and plentiful. Frozen shrimp is a completely acceptable option.
What you’ll need for a great shrimp bisque
- shrimp ~ fresh or frozen, start with medium or large shell-on shrimp. You’ll use those shells to make a broth.
- leeks ~ the gentle allium, leeks are sweet and onion-y without the bite.
- olive oil
- garlic
- cayenne
- cognac and sherry ~ raid the liquor cabinet for this soup and you’ll be richly rewarded with restaurant style flavor.
- butter and flour for a roux to thicken the soup.
- half and half
- tomato paste ~ this is what gives shrimp bisque its exquisite color.
- salt and pepper
Little variations make each shrimp bisque recipe unique
The bones of a good shrimp bisque are always the same no matter what recipe you go with ~ there’s shrimp, of course, aromatic veggies, stock, cream, tomato paste, brandy, sherry, and a bit of spice. It’s the little extra touches that distinguish one recipe from another, but you don’t want to stray too far from tradition, because that’s what makes this soup a classic. Here are a few of the ways famous chefs have put their own special spin on it~
- Emeril uses lots of fresh herbs to distinguish his bisque.
- Martha actually roasts and purees the shells right into her shrimp bisque ~ I wasn’t expecting that one, but it turns out this is the most authentic way to do it…leave it to Martha!
- Tyler freshens his up with orange zest.
- Paula tops her soup with crunchy homemade croutons.
This shrimp bisque owes some of its flavor to a from-scratch stock that’s made using the shrimp shells. The flavor is delicate and the color is beautiful . The cognac and sherry add that unmistakable restaurant flair to an already luxurious soup.
TIP: Shrimp bisque is rich, so serve it in smaller bowls, a little goes a long way.
My friend Sandy makes my beautiful soup bowls, read about her and see her work in my American Artisans post.
Reader Rave ~
“Delish! Followed the basic instructions but used leftovers from the shrimp boil the night before. (potatoes and corn.) So glad I had shrimp stock in the freezer and didn’t have cognac so used straight sherry and still received rave reviews. Thanks Sue, can’t wait to make this again!” ~Nancy
Shrimp Bisque
Equipment
- food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium or large shrimp, shelled and deveined, reserve the shells
- 2 leeks
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup cognac or brandy
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 4 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
garnish
- baby shrimp or chopped shrimp
- thyme leaves
Instructions
- First make the stock ~ put 4 cups water in a pot, along with the shrimp shells and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the broth and add water if necessary to make 3 3/4 cups. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, slice the leeks and then rinse them thoroughly to remove any grit.
- Heat the oil in a soup pot and saute the leeks for 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the cayenne and the shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, until the shrimp are cooked, about 3 minutes.
- Add the cognac and cook for a minute, then the sherry, and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Puree the mixture, in 2 batches, in a food processor until it is coarsely pureed. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in the same pan and add the flour ~ cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Do not let it brown. Add the half and half and cook over medium heat until it is hot and thickened. Stir or whisk constantly.
- Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt, and pepper and heat over medium heat until hot but not boiling. Season to taste, and serve in small bowls, garnished with fried leeks or chopped shrimp and thyme leaves.
Notes
Nutrition
I made this tonight….flavor is awesome. The first time using leeks….i guess I shouldn’t of used the dark green part…my puree was green…added more tomato but not quite the color I would like.
Love the flavor of this bisque. I had never made it before. It was soupy so I added quite a bit of cornstarch in increments (at least 6 T to hot bisque in separate cup) to thicken it up. Yummy!
I love your recipes. THe sad fact is that here in Ontario Canada our food prices are sooooo high! Do you have a lots of good recipes that are cheap to make?
Check my other soups, egg dishes, pasta recipes, and bean recipes Jo-Anne. Most of them are made inexpensively.
Awesome recipe, thanks. Also, could you share the pattern of the blue bowls?
Can I have good substitute idea for the alcohol?
Angela Herring
There really isn’t a suitable substitute for the alcohol in this recipe so you’d just leave it out. Use a little extra shrimp stock.
Could you eat this as a cold soup in summer?
I guess you could, but I haven’t tried that so I can’t say for sure how it would work as a cold soup. My concern would be the texture, it might get too thick.
Heavenly, made this yesterday and it is perfect. Getting ready to heat some up today for lunch on this cold rainy California day. Sue keep them coming. Bu the way have you ever made Crab Bisque? If so, please share
I haven’t made crab but my husband would die for that, so I need to.
This is so very good. Being such a lover of shrimp I will probably use 1 1/2 lbs of shrimp next time. I just want to have more shrimp just to cut up in chunks to add to the bisque. Other then that this was an excellent recipe.
Made this today. Delicious. My husband said this was something that could be served in a 5 star restaurant. Doesn’t get much better than that
Awww thanks for taking the time to make my day Linda 😉 Glad you loved it.