If you love shrimp, then you will certainly adore this gorgeous, creamy, dreamy Shrimp Bisque recipe. It is an elegant soup to serve for any occasion to impress your family or your friends.
Want more elegant soups? Then you must try our Lobster Bisque with chunks of gorgeous lobster added in. Or how about a West Coast Seafood Chowder or Finnish Salmon Soup?
That name is thought to come from the first noted origin of the recipe at the Bay of Biscay. The name is also seen in other cream-based French soup recipes where ingredients are pureed in a food processor and reintroduced into the thickening cream.
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Baking Sheet Pan Set, Set of 3
What is Shrimp Bisque Made of?
To make this seafood bisque from scratch takes a lot of ingredients. If you want to forgo the shrimp stock and have a very good alternative, then do so by all means. The stock, though, is easy to make, just like any other stock recipe.
Ingredients
Shrimp Stock:
Shrimp heads
Shells from the shrimp – (if you can’t find shrimp with heads on, use 4 cups of shells)
Medium white onion, quartered
Medium carrots, roughly chopped
Stalks of celery, roughly chopped
Cloves of garlic, crushed
Black peppercorns
Bay leaf
Sprigs of fresh thyme
Water
Soup:
Shrimp, shelled and deveined – (reserve a few for garnish)
Avocado oil – (you can substitute olive oil)
Leeks, diced
Carrots, diced
Celery, diced
Dry sherry
Ground chipotle chile pepper – (you can substitute cayenne pepper)
Butter
All-purpose flour
Reserved shrimp stock
Heavy cream
Tomato paste
Salt
Pepper
Serve with baguette or other fresh bread.
How to Make Shrimp Bisque
For the stock:
Spread the shrimp shells and heads in a single layer on a half pan and roast in a 400-degree oven for five minutes.
Add the roasted shrimp shells and heads to a large stock pot with the white onion, carrots, celery, garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, and water.
Bring the contents to a boil on high heat, then lower the heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes with the lid slightly askew.
Strain the stock through a fine mesh colander into two large mason jars and set aside. This recipe makes 8 cups of stock, enough for two batches of bisque, or reserve it for other recipes.
For the soup:
Drizzle the avocado oil in the same stock pot over high heat, and saute the leeks, carrots, and celery for two minutes, then add the garlic and ground chipotle chile pepper.
Add the shrimp and cook until pink but still tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour the dry sherry over the sizzling shrimp and reduce for one minute. Reserve a few shrimp to garnish.
Add the sauteed shrimp with vegetables to a food processor or high-powered blender, puree until smooth, and set aside.
Melt the butter over medium heat using the now-emptied stock pot. Then, stir in the flour to form a roux. Cook the roux for two minutes, then add the heavy cream.
Stir in the pureed shrimp from the food processor, the stock, the tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer for several minutes as it thickens.
Garnish with reserved grilled shrimp, thyme, or heavy cream drizzle, and serve with a warm baguette. Enjoy!
Recipe Pro Tips!
Can I freeze bisque?
Yes! Place the soup in a freezer-safe container once it cools to room temperature. It will be usable for up to three months.
How long will the bisque last in the refrigerator?
It will last two days when stored in a tightly sealed container.
Can I use cornstarch instead of roux?
Yes! If you need a gluten-free version, cornstarch works well. The best way is to create a slur with a few tablespoons of cornstarch and cold water.
How do I best reheat this soup?
On the stovetop, use medium heat, not too high. At high temperatures, the oil can separate from the cream. Stir continuously at medium heat to avoid burning and sticking to the pan.
DO YOU LOVE SHRIMP? CRAVE MORE RECIPES?
We love seafood here any way we can get it. Shrimp is easy to work with and fairly economical as it can be easily stretched. Here are some of our favorite recipes for you to try.
Shrimp Bisque
Ingredients
Stock:
- 2 cups shrimp heads
- 2 cups shrimp shells if you can’t find shrimp with heads on, use 4 cups of shells
- 1 medium white onion quartered
- 2 medium carrots roughly chopped
- 2 stalks of celery roughly chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic crushed
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 8 cups of water
Soup:
- 1 pound of shrimp shelled and deveined (reserve a few for garnish)
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil you can substitute olive oil
- 3/4 cup of leeks diced
- 3/4 cup of cup carrots diced
- 3/4 cup of celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic coursely chopped
- 1/2 cup of dry sherry
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground chipotle chile pepper you can substitute cayenne pepper
- 5 tablespoons of butter
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 4 cups of reserved shrimp stock
- 3 to 3 1/2 cups of heavy cream
- 1/3 cup of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- Serve with baguette or other fresh bread.
Instructions
For the stock:
- Spread the shrimp shells and heads in a single layer on a half pan and roast in a 400-degree oven for five minutes.
- Add the roasted shrimp shells and heads to a large stock pot with the white onion, carrots, celery, garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaf, thyme, and water.
- Bring the contents to a boil on high heat, then lower the heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes with the lid slightly askew.
- Strain the stock through a fine mesh colander into two large mason jars and set aside. This recipe makes 8 cups of stock, enough for two batches of bisque, or reserve it for other recipes.
For the soup:
- Drizzle the avocado oil in the same stock pot over high heat, and saute the leeks, carrots, and celery for four minutes, then add the garlic and ground chipotle chile pepper.
- Add the shrimp and cook until pink but still tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Pour the dry sherry over the sizzling shrimp and reduce for one minute. Reserve a few shrimp to garnish.
- Add the sauteed shrimp with vegetables to a food processor or high-powered blender, puree until smooth, and set aside.
- Melt the butter over medium heat using the now-emptied stock pot. Then, stir in the flour to form a roux. Cook the roux for two minutes, then add the heavy cream.
- Stir in the pureed shrimp from the food processor, the stock, the tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer for several minutes as it thickens.
- Garnish with reserved grilled shrimp, thyme, or heavy cream drizzle, and serve with a warm baguette. Enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Ken says
Love Shrimp BIsque!
Sherry says
This shrimp bisque looks absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try it!