Valentina Ablaev
This shrimp bisque recipe is everything you’ve ever wanted in a seafood soup. A creamy base with an incredible depth of flavor, this homemade shrimp bisque is better than anything you could get at a restaurant. Loaded with large chunks of juicy shrimp, this easy bisque is sure to become your new favorite.
Although we love a classic soup, there’s something about a traditional bisque that takes it to another level. Whether you go for a rich tomato bisque or a classic shrimp bisque, you simply can’t go wrong! The best part is the garnish of crispy croutons, making for a crunchy, salty bite.
What is Bisque?
A bisque is a rich and creamy soup, traditionally made with seafood! An authentic bisque contains a seafood stock made from a type of shellfish, such as lobster, shrimp, or crab.
Tools for this Recipe
Shop all of Valentina’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and kitchen must-haves!
- We love to cook soups in our trusty dutch oven!
- To det that smooth consistency, blending up the soup is a must. You can use a hand held immersion blender, or a full size blender.
- Freeze leftover soup into soup cubes for the easiest defrosting method!
Fine Dining at Home…
A shrimp bisque is often served at high-end restaurants, but what if I told you it is SO easy and inexpensive to make at home! Not to mention that this soup reheats for an even better meal the next day!
Before You Start
- Shrimp – Jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, make the perfect protein for this soup.
Pro tip: Use large shrimp, like jumbo or colossal, for the best flavor and texture. Small shrimp tend to overcook quickly and become tough. - Veggies – A combination of onion, celery, carrots, and garlic, sautéed to bring out the most incredible flavors.
- Tomato sauce – Adds a delicious flavor with the right amount of tang. You can also use tomato paste for a stronger tomato flavor.
- Broth – chicken broth adds a richness to the soup and is mild enough to allow the flavors of the shrimp to shine.
- Seasoning – Salt and black pepper highlight all of the flavors, while paprika adds a beautiful color.
- Cream – Heavy whipping cream thickens up the soup while making it creamy.
- Bread – Crusty bread is the best way to serve this shrimp bisque.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Bring the heat: The addition of red pepper flakes adds a pleasant spice to this shrimp bisque.
- Add vegetables: Bulk up the shrimp bisque by adding veggies! Add corn, carrots, and even red bell peppers to the soup for a flavorful variation.
How to Make Creamy Shrimp Bisque
- Heat some oil in a large pot. When it’s hot, cook the shrimp for 2 minutes on each side. Take them out and keep them warm.
2. In the same pot, melt the butter and add chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Then add flour and tomato sauce, and stir everything together.
4. Pour in the broth and stir. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Use a hand blender to blend all the ingredients until you get a smooth mixture.
5. Chop the shrimp into small pieces and return them to the pot.
6. Add salt, pepper, and paprika and stir well. Pour in the heavy cream and cook until it starts to gently boil. Serve with bread, and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. We add the chopped shrimp at the very end to prevent them from overcooking.
- Add the cream at the end. When cream overboils, it results in a burnt flavor and separation of fat and liquid. After adding the cream, it is important not to overboil the soup.
- Garnish. Finish the soup off with parsley or fresh dill for a beautiful presentation.
What Goes Well with Shrimp Bisque?
- Soup and salad: Complement this bisque with a decadent salad like our crispy butternut squash saladloaded with homemade candied walnuts. The perfect symphony of flavors!
- Soup and sandwich combo: Serve this creamy bisque with a crispy sandwich! Our grilled turkey bacon sandwich makes the perfect pairing, especially when dipped into the bisque!
- Soup and fries: Another favorite classic is soup with fries, we especially love parmesan truffle fries.
Store & Reheat
- Storage. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheat. Warm up leftover soup in a pot over medium heat until warm and thick.
- Freeze. This is a great recipe to freeze and enjoy over the next few months as a quick and easy meal. To freeze, add the soup to a freezer-safe soup container. We love to use soup cubes, as they are convenient to store and reheat quickly. Reheat: Add the soup cube directly to a pot and heat over low-medium heat until thawed. Turn the heat up slightly to allow the soup to thicken.
More Soup Recipes
If you enjoyed this shrimp bisque recipe, be sure to try our other popular soup recipes; here are some of our favorites:
If you tried this shrimp bisque recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below – we appreciate it!
Shrimp Bisque Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 lb raw shrimp jumbo size peeled and deveined
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1 stick of celery chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 64 oz chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven. Once hot, saute the shrimp 2 minutes per side. Remove from the Dutch oven and cover to keep warm.
- To the Dutch oven, add the butter, onion, celery, and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Then add the flour, tomato sauce, and stir until combined.
- Now pour in the broth and stir. Cook for about 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients until they are pureed.
- Finely chop the shrimp and add to the Dutch oven.
- Add the salt, pepper, and paprika, and stir.
- Add the heavy whipping cream and cook until the bisque comes to a soft boil.
- Serve and enjoy, friends.
Notes
- Don’t Overcook the Shrimp. Shrimp should be tender, not dry and rubbery. Add the chopped shrimp at the very end of cooking to keep them from overcooking.
- Add Cream at the End. Stir in the cream once the soup is off the boil. Boiling cream can cause it to curdle or separate, creating an unpleasant texture and flavor.
- Garnish for Presentation. Sprinkle with chopped parsley or fresh dill before serving for a fresh taste and an elegant look.
- Storage. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The soup will keep well for up to 5 days.
- Reheating. Warm the soup gently over medium heat until heated through and thickened to your liking.
- Freezing. This soup freezes beautifully and makes a convenient meal later. Pour the cooled soup into a freezer-safe container or use soup cubes for easy portioning. Store for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat from Frozen. Place a frozen soup cube in a pot and heat over low to medium heat until it has thawed. Increase the heat slightly to allow the soup to warm fully and thicken.
Nutrition
FAQ’s
FAQ’s
While both are similar, a bisque is thicker and richer than a traditional soup.
Though you don’t have to, pureeing the soup allows for it to be thick and have the best texture.
A lot of traditional shrimp bisque recipes include a dry white wine deglaze; however, we opt out of it in this recipe.
