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Rich, creamy Shrimp Bisque is loaded with succulent shrimp. It's easy to make a restaurant-quality soup with only a few simple ingredients and less than 40 minutes.
Shrimp Bisque Recipe
Shrimp bisque is a thick, creamy soup cooked with succulent shrimp and heavy cream. It’s a chowder-like soup loaded with a sweet and savory taste from shrimp, onion, and clam juice.
This soup is absolutely delicious, rich and deep in seafood flavors. In this easy recipe, you will make the best restaurant-quality shrimp bisque with only a few simple ingredients.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is perfect for all seasons and any occasion. It’s great to serve as a light lunch with crusty bread on top or a tasty starter to complete a meal.
It’s also a freezer-friendly recipe. The soup stores well in the freezer for up to 3 months and is perfect to serve anytime. Make sure to freeze the soup without adding the heavy cream. It helps to prevent a grainy texture after reheating. You may stir in the heavy cream while warming the soup before serving.
This recipe makes 2 to 3 servings at a fraction of the price in restaurants. You can always double the ingredients to make a bigger portion for everyone in the family.
Shrimp Bisque Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Sherry cooking wine
- Garlic salt or celery salt
- Ground paprika
- Tomato paste
- Clam juice or chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Water or seafood stock
- Unsalted butter
- Salt
- Shrimp
Sherry cooking wine is used to jazz up the overall flavor with a sweet taste. You may also use dry white wine, Japanese cooking sake or Japanese mirin.
Adding garlic salt or celery salt instantly brings an extra savory flavor to the soup. You may add an herby taste to the soup with a couple of dried bay leaves and fresh Italian parsley sprigs. Cook the herbs with the soup and remove and discard before pureeing.
For a hot variation, you may use ground paprika or cayenne pepper.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.
How To Make Shrimp Bisque
The traditional French shrimp bisque takes a long in the kitchen to prepare, but this easy variation is completed in less than 40 minutes.
First, heat the oil in a soup pot and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes until aromatic and translucent. Then, add sherry, seasonings, tomato paste, and clam juice. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes.
Next, puree the mixture with a blender or immersion blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and add heavy cream, water and unsalted butter. Stir constantly to smooth out the texture, and add salt to taste.
Finally, add shrimp and simmer for a few minutes until cooked through. Serve immediately with croutons and freshly chopped parsley on top, if desired.
Cooking Tips
- You may use either fresh or frozen shrimp that are peeled and deveined.
- If using frozen shrimp, deforest them properly by soaking them in a bowl with room temperature water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry before cooking.
Frequently Asked Question
The easiest and quickest way to thicken the shrimp bisque is to add a cornstarch slurry.
Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl, and stir into the soup in the last few minutes of simmering.
Store the leftover shrimp bisque in an airtight glass container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. To serve, reheat in the microwave and serve warm.
The soup also freezes well in an airtight container or freezer-safe ziploc bags for up to 3 months.
This recipe has 333 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Shrimp Bisque
For an easy and wholesome weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes:
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Shrimp Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup sherry cooking wine
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup clam juice, or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup water or seafood stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into bite size
- 1 cup crouton, for serving (optional)
- Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, until aromatic and translucent.
- Add the sherry and season with garlic salt and paprika; stir well. Then, stir in the tomato paste and clam juice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Purée the soup with a blender or an immersion blender until smooth.
- Return the soup to the pot and add the heavy cream, water, and unsalted butter. Stir constantly to smooth out the texture, then add salt to taste.
- Finally, add the shrimp and simmer the soup for another 5 to 8 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through.
- Serve immediately, topped with croutons and freshly chopped parsley, if desired.
Video
Notes
- You may use either fresh or frozen shrimp that are peeled and deveined.
- If using frozen shrimp, deforest them properly by soaking them in a bowl with room temperature water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry before cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this today and my mean MIL was convinced I purchased it and just rewarmed. I told her it’s from a distant relative, Bee Yinn Low and pointed out the recipe which is in my recipe binder in the kitchen. SCORED, SCORED, SCORED. This is a winner, thank you SO much.
Thank you for your kind comment, Susann. I am so glad that your MIL was impressed with your bisque. Happy cooking!
I am cooking this for a toddler who loves shrimp… what is a good substitute for the sherry?
Hi Abbey. If you follow the recipe closely, the alcohol from the sherry would have completely evaporated after 25 mins of cooking. However, if you are still concerned, you can substitute the 1/4 cup of sherry with 1 tbsp of sherry vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
Sure would like to see the reviews…
Awesome,,,will be marking very soon
Thanks
Hello Bee
I love your program
Thank you so much
Have a happy holiday season
Billy
I am trying to pin this recipe to Pinterest and not seeing a way to do that and when I attempt to upload it doesn’t work. Please help!
Mouse over the images to pin.
Can this recipe be made lactose free? Would lactose free whole milk ok to substitute for heavy cream? I’ve not come across Lactose-Free Heavy Cream. thanks,
Yes you can try!