• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Closet Cooking

Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • Top Recipes
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • 6 Ingredient Meals
    • Slow Cooker Meals
    • One Pan Meals
    • By Course
      • Main Course
      • Side Dish
      • Dessert
      • Appetizer/Snack
      • More
    • By Diet
      • Gluten-free
      • Low-carb
      • Vegetarian
      • More
    • By Meat
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Lamb
      • Egg
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
      • More
    • By Cuisine
      • Cajun and Creole
      • Chinese
      • Greek
      • Italian
      • Japanese
      • Korean
      • Mexican
      • Thai
      • Vietnamese
      • More
    • By Type
      • Burger
      • Cake
      • Cookie
      • Dip
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Salad
      • Sandwich
      • Soup
      • More
    • By Ingredient
      • Avocado
      • Bacon
      • Cauliflower
      • Mushroom
      • Pumpkin
      • Quinoa
      • Shrimp
      • Strawberry
      • More
  • Cookbooks
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
Never miss a recipe! Subscribe to the email Newsletter!

Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

[heart_this] · Nov 9, 2010 · 34 Comments

Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

The roasted pumpkin salad had got me thinking about using fall ingredients in light spring like meals and the next thing that I was thinking of was a pumpkin soup and I knew exactly which one I was going to make. There was absolutely no way that I could resist trying this pumpkin and shrimp bisque recipe from epicurious; I mean it combined my current obsession, pumpkin, along with one of my all time favourite foods, shrimp! I have a perfect recipe for a shrimp bisque but it is a little bit on the decadent side and this pumpkin and shrimp bisque is nice and light and healthy, comparatively speaking. This recipe starts off by making a shrimp stock and if you are like me, this is exactly the time to pull out those shrimp shells that you have been saving in the freezer for just such an occasion. From there you add the pumpkin puree , a bit of heavy cream and some simple seasonings and you are done. I served the pumpkin and shrimp bisque with a quickly assembled sage gremolata which added an amazing brightness to the bisque and a rocket salad with feta and walnuts rounded out a really nice light fall meal!

Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

Cook Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour Servings: 4
ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound shrimp (peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped, shells reserved)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 4 cups shrimp stock (or chicken stock or dashi)
  • 1 pinch saffron
  • 1 onion (coarsly chopped)
  • 1 carrot (coarsly chopped)
  • 2 stalks celery (coarsly chopped)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 sprigs sage
  • 2 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 batch sage gremolata (see below)
directions
  1. Heat the oil in a pan at medium-high heat.
  2. Add the shrimp shells and cook until they turn pink and then just start to turn brown and fill your kitchen with the aroma of shrimp, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add the white wine and simmer until it has evaportated, about 4-6 minutes.
  4. Add the broth, saffron, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, and sage, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.
  5. Strain the solids from the stock with a fine metal sieve and return the stock to the sauce pan.
  6. Mix in the pumpkin puree, heavy cream and cayenne and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
  7. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
  8. Heat the oil in a pan.
  9. Add the shrimp and saute at medium heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes.
  10. Divide the shrimp between 4 bowls, pour the bisque over them and garnish with the sage gremolata.
Sage Gremolata

Sage Gremolata

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 1
ingredients
  • 1/4 cup sage (chopped)
  • 1/2 lemon (zest only)
  • 1 clove garlic (chopped)
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts (toasted)
directions
  1. Mix everything.
Similar Recipes:
Shrimp Bisque
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup
Panang Curried Pumpkin and Prawn Soup
Roasted Pumpkin, Pancetta and Sage Soup
Cajun Sweet Potato Seafood Chowder
Creamy Brie Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Soup

Looking for more soup recipes?

Food, Gluten-free, Pumpkin, Recipe, Seafood, Shrimp, Soup

eCookbook Bundle Cover

Get ALL 16 Closet Cooking eCookbooks in a bundle for 70% off! Enjoy some of the tastiest recipes from Closet Cooking along with exclusive cookbook recipes!

Get the Cookbook Bundle Now!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jennifer says

    November 9, 2010 at 2:20 pm

    I've been looking for a savory pumpkin recipe for a while now! Fantastic! Can't wait to try this out =)

    xoXOxo
    Jenn L @ Peas & Crayons

    Reply
  2. the blissful baker says

    November 9, 2010 at 3:23 pm

    this soup has such a lovely color! i would never think to use pumpkin and shrimp together, but it looks super yummy!

    Reply
  3. Carrie says

    November 9, 2010 at 3:41 pm

    Lovely! Shrimp bisque has been on my to-make list for a while, and I love this fall version. Sounds fabulous!

    Reply
  4. 愛 - ちゃん says

    November 9, 2010 at 3:48 pm

    I haven't had bisque for years! Yours looks really good. I'll definitely should try this out.

    Reply
  5. Jeffrey and Juli says

    November 9, 2010 at 4:31 pm

    I'm not familiar with the term gremolata. Could you tell me what sorts of dishes are appropriate for this blend? Thanks!

    Reply
  6. vanillasugar says

    November 9, 2010 at 4:31 pm

    kevin kevin kevin…man oh man you just kill me. the recipes you create….amazing

    Reply
  7. Dani says

    November 9, 2010 at 7:23 pm

    It's fantastic 🙂

    Reply
  8. We Are Not Martha says

    November 9, 2010 at 8:10 pm

    THe pumpkin shrimp combination sounds absolutely perfect!! And it's super pretty, too 🙂 Soup is usually hard to photograph and yours looks awesome!

    Sues

    Reply
  9. Lyndsey says

    November 9, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    Oh what a nice combination! It sounds fantastic!

    Reply
  10. Biz says

    November 9, 2010 at 10:22 pm

    As soon as I finish the second week of South Beach, I am going to make this soup – thanks Kevin!

    Reply
  11. Lori says

    November 10, 2010 at 12:13 am

    Geez Kevin- for the past week I have been researching recipes for my crab shells that I have int he freezer. I think your soup is just the ticket. Crab and Pumpkin Bisque. Stellar!

    Reply
  12. MaryBeth says

    November 10, 2010 at 1:38 am

    Kevin….you made what has to be the best soup ever. I simply love pumpkin and shrimp and can only imagine that the 2 of them in a soup is just lovely.

    Reply
  13. Verve.IS.served says

    November 10, 2010 at 5:25 am

    I already had an obsession with pumpkin and shrimp, but it's officially become a frenzy.

    You da bomb dot com.

    –Priyanka

    Verve.IS.Served

    Reply
  14. Kevin says

    November 10, 2010 at 9:58 am

    Jeffrey and Juli: I have just started getting into gremolata and so I am still experimenting. It is more commonly made with parsley and I have enjoyed that version on dishes like this Osso Buco where I found that the bright flavours of the gremolata went particularly nicely with the intense flavour of the veal in its tomato sauce and with the creamy risotto.

    Reply
  15. Anonymous says

    November 10, 2010 at 11:52 am

    Fantastic recipe and your photograph is beautiful.
    🙂 Mandy

    Reply
  16. Emma says

    November 10, 2010 at 11:57 am

    Looks lovely and creamy 🙂

    Reply
  17. Gary Czerwinski says

    November 10, 2010 at 1:03 pm

    I've made this exact recipe before and just love it as do guests. A great starter for Thanksgiving meal here in U.S.

    Reply
  18. Pam says

    November 10, 2010 at 4:55 pm

    What a beautiful and elegant soup… delicious.

    Reply
  19. Cara says

    November 10, 2010 at 10:04 pm

    What a great combo. I've made a pumpkin soup with shrimp before, but I went more along the lines of a curry / Thai flavor. It's interesting to see a more American traditional flavor profile with the sage gremolata. Nicely done!

    Reply
  20. Maria says

    November 10, 2010 at 10:42 pm

    I love the Bisque family of soups and this is a great take on it. Love the seasonal flavors. I could really use a hot bowl right about now!

    Reply
  21. RamblingTart says

    November 10, 2010 at 11:57 pm

    Wow – I'm so intrigued by this soup, Kevin. 🙂 I have shrimp and pumpkin at home waiting to be used up, and I think I'll just have to try this! It's so buggerish cold right now I need warming foods. 🙂

    Reply
  22. Anonymous says

    November 11, 2010 at 2:52 am

    Bisque is some serious comfort food. The combination of pumpkin and bisque sounds interesting. I'll have to try this out!

    Reply
  23. oneshotbeyond says

    November 16, 2010 at 5:25 am

    perfect looking soup.

    Reply
  24. Colleen @ The Taste Place says

    November 17, 2010 at 8:03 pm

    That looks incredibly delicious!

    Reply
  25. Susan K. says

    November 22, 2010 at 12:37 am

    This soup looks wonderful–it'll be the next pumpkin dish I attempt. Thanks!

    Reply
  26. Audra Majocha says

    October 19, 2011 at 1:09 am

    this has FALL written all over it!!! looks amazing…i need a few new soup and bisque recipes. thank you!!!

    audra
    http://www.oneloudlemon.blogspot.com

    Reply
  27. Sarah says

    October 2, 2012 at 3:26 am

    This was really delicious! I was a little unsure about the gremolata, but it fit in perfectly! The only change that I made was to add the shrimp at the same time as the pumpkin and cream and let them cook in the soup.

    Reply
  28. Lorelei says

    November 10, 2012 at 4:50 pm

    I wonder what this would taste like with crab? mmmm

    Reply
  29. Linda Andrews says

    September 16, 2013 at 7:51 pm

    So Kevin, if you don't use shrimp shells, do you just start with the chicken stock?

    Reply
  30. kevin says

    September 25, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    Linda Andrews: Yes, the shrimp flavour will not be quite a strong but it will still be great!

    Reply
  31. zuzazak says

    October 30, 2013 at 9:17 pm

    Ha I'm also obsessed by pumpkins right now! and this is my last creation: a pumpkin soup with pork and pearl barley. will make your one next

    http://cheesy-mash.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/a-hearty-pumpkin-soup-with-pork-and.html

    zx

    Reply
  32. LuisaCA says

    October 25, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    Perfect seasonal dish !
    I made this (doubled) last night for a group dinner. Since I didn’t have shell on shrimp and the shrimp were quite large I halved them lengthwise and broiled them with oil and spices. I added this to the finished soup at the end along with the pan juices to bump up the shrimp flavor. Since I didn’t have the shells for stock I used half clam base (with water added) and chicken stock. I sautéed the raw veggies and added the wine and reduced. I only added 3 large sage leaves as my garden sage is very strong. (Actually I put in one sprig and when the fragrance went up my nose I fished it out right away). After simmering for 45 minutes I fished out the bay and sage leaves then stick-blended until very smooth. I added the pumpkin and cream and then the broiled shrimp. It was terrific! Hopefully people won’t omit the saffron if they can manage it because that really makes it, in my opinion. The Gremolata was a nice addition as well as a beautiful garnish atop the shrimp in the middle. Thanks for another winner !

    Reply
  33. LuisaCA says

    October 27, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    I just made a double batch of this for a dinner group meeting and it turned out great !
    I did make some changes based on the fact I only had raw, already peeled, very large shrimp. I sautéed the raw veggies separately and then added the wine and reduced. Then I stick-blended them until smooth, keeping the veggies. I used clam base from Better Than Bouillon along with 4 cups water and 1 quart of chicken broth. I kept the shrimp out and decided to half them lengthwise and broil with some olive oil and a touch of Cajun seasonings to bump the shrimpiness. The amount of sage was way way too prominent so I fished the big sprig out and added back 3 large leaves. I guess my garden sage is just too potent ! The saffron is Key so don’t leave that out ! The gremolata just gilds this lily !
    Very well received ! Another winner, Kevin !

    Reply
  34. Lori Scott says

    October 11, 2021 at 8:24 pm

    Years ago I found this recipe and delivered it to my Thanksgiving table as a first course, though it deserves to be the star attraction. My husband said it was the best soup I’ve ever made and there was not one drop left. Everyone was begging for the recipe. I had fallen in love with a tureen and bought it just for this special bisque. Every year when I pull the special tureen and matching cups out, everyone knows what’s in store for the meal! Though this dish has several steps, it is so worth it, rich, beautifully put together, colorful and the mixing of all the flavors and spices, a true delight.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to the free Closet Cooking email newsletter and get a FREE copy of the eBook:
The Best of Closet Cooking!

About Me

Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
Read More

The Best of Closet Cooking 2023 – FREE eCookbook

The Best of Closet Cooking Book Cover

eCookbook Bundle

eCookbook Bundle

Top Recipes

Chicken and Avocado Burritos
Ham and Potato Corn Chowder
Mexican Street Corn Nachos
Balsamic Garlic Grilled Mushroom Skewers
Baked Firecracker Chicken
Caprese Balsamic Grilled Chicken
Balsamic Soy Roasted Garlic Mushrooms
Cheesy Beef Enchilada Tortellini Skillet
Parmesan Roasted Carrot Fries
Asiago Roasted Onions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
About | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy
Copyright © 2007-2023, Closet Cooking Ltd. All Rights Reserved.