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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.

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Shrimp Bisque

[heart_this] · Feb 17, 2009 · 85 Comments

Shrimp Bisque

A decadently smooth and creamy shrimp bisque filled with chunks of succulent shrimp.

You have probably noticed that I am a bit of a shrimp fanatic and I am constantly on the lookout for new ways to enjoy shrimp. A while ago I came across a recipe for shrimp bisque on Kalofagas (originally from the Toronto Star by Marion Kane) that sounded like it might just be the ultimate shrimp dish. This soup uses shrimp in no less than 4 different ways. The shells are simmered in the broth to release their flavour, the body of the soup contains pureed shrimp, chopped shrimp and whole shrimp for garnish. I looked at a few recipes for shrimp bisque and I ended up choosing this one because I like the fact that the shrimp were sauteed in butter and then the pan was deglazed with wine to pick up the extra shrimp flavour. The recipe looks a bit long but don’t let that intimidate you as the results are well worth he effort! The shrimp bisque was amazing! It was nice and thick and rich and creamy and full of shrimp flavour. I really enjoyed the texture that the pureed shrimp added to the soup and the every spoonful was filled with juicy succulent chunks of shrimp that were burst in your mouth good.

Shrimp Bisque

Shrimp Bisque

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Servings: 4

A decadently smooth and creamy shrimp bisque filled with chunks of succulent shrimp.

ingredients
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped with shells reserved
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons flour (or rice flour for gluten free)
  • 2 cups shrimp stock or chicken broth or dashi
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 (15 ounce) can tomatoes with juice, chopped
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup arborio rice
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 2 tablespoons brandy
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 lemon, juice
directions
  1. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium heat, add the onion, carrots and celery and saute until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
  2. Add the garlic and shrimp shells and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Mix in the flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add the stock, water, tomatoes, sherry, brandy, thyme and bay leaf, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
  5. Strain the liquid into another sauce pan and discard the solids.
  6. Add the rice, tomato paste and paprika, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the rice is cooked, about 20-30 minutes.
  7. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat, add the shrimp and saute until just cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.
  8. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
  9. Add half of the shrimp and the juices to the soup and puree until smooth with an immersion blender or in a food processor or blender.
  10. Add the remaining shrimp, sherry, brandy and cream and heat to serve.
  11. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Similar Recipes:
Shrimp Tom Yum Goong Soup
Garides Saganaki (Shrimp Saganaki)
Shrimp Scampi
Thai Lemon Shrimp
Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque
Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder
Shrimp Etouffee
Shrimp Wonton Soup
Cajun Sweet Potato Seafood Chowder

More soup recipes!

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

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. tigerfish says

    February 18, 2009 at 12:23 am

    Well, that is new.

    Reply
  2. Peter M says

    February 18, 2009 at 1:05 am

    Kevin, I thought I recognized this soup! lol

    It’s a family favourite and it’s no surprise that you loved it so much. Thanks for trying yet another one of my dishes and thanks again Marion.

    Reply
  3. glamah16 says

    February 18, 2009 at 1:28 am

    Looks wonderful Kevin!

    Reply
  4. Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer says

    February 18, 2009 at 1:39 am

    Looks incredible and will be perfect on a cold and rainy day!!

    Reply
  5. Kristen says

    February 18, 2009 at 1:40 am

    WoW, that looks fantastic! I am hungry now. And hungry for shrimp no less. That is going to be a must try for me. Thanks Kevin & Peter.

    Reply
  6. Patsyk says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:08 am

    Wow, that looks good! But, then I’m not surprised based on where you found the recipe.

    Reply
  7. Sara says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:16 am

    This looks amazing, I am also a big fan of shrimp!

    Reply
  8. elly says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:22 am

    Mmmm, looks delicious! My husband would marry me all over again for this soup 🙂

    Reply
  9. Steph says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:33 am

    I love shrimp too! The bisque looks delicious and really flavourful.

    Reply
  10. Bridgett says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:36 am

    Beautiful, just look at that color! This looks and sounds divine.

    Reply
  11. Kathleen says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:38 am

    yeh. oh yehhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

    I mean YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS~!

    what i mean is I dig this enough to want to make it.

    Reply
  12. Mary Ellen says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:48 am

    I just sent this to my dad – he will definitely make this!

    Reply
  13. Melissa says

    February 18, 2009 at 3:41 am

    Wow! That looks incredible, and the color is so pretty!

    Reply
  14. Mila says

    February 18, 2009 at 3:42 am

    Wow Kevin! That looks fabulous!
    I was going to make a shrimp soup…this one would be perfect but the calories in it are not that perfect! Great picture as always…I love the little specs of green…

    Reply
  15. MaryBeth says

    February 18, 2009 at 3:54 am

    I must try this..it looks really good and I love shrimp.

    Reply
  16. Esi says

    February 18, 2009 at 4:17 am

    Perfect for the cold weather and looks so amazing.

    Reply
  17. Olga says

    February 18, 2009 at 4:55 am

    That looks amazing! great color.hh

    Reply
  18. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:00 am

    I love shrimps too! A beautiful dish!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  19. Manger La Ville says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:19 am

    My father is a shrimp fanatic, sometimes I don’t know why he even eats other things at all. I love shrimp bisque and I am sure he would love this too, I will be passing this recipe along. Looks beautiful

    Reply
  20. Cakebrain says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:27 am

    That looks so decadent! yum!

    Reply
  21. Amy says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:44 am

    That looks AMAZING!

    Reply
  22. Lick My Spoon says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:51 am

    just saw a recipe for shrimp bisque in serious eats today! SB must be in the air. i dare say yours looked better 😉 can’t wait to try this recipe!

    Reply
  23. Beachlover says

    February 18, 2009 at 6:29 am

    this really look good!1 I’m a shrimplover!!

    Reply
  24. Nina Timm says

    February 18, 2009 at 8:43 am

    With a list of ingredients that long, this has to be great!!! Beautiful color and I bet a very intense flavor!!!

    Looks like we all went “unda tha sea” yesterday…I posted a crab curry!!!

    Reply
  25. Happy cook says

    February 18, 2009 at 8:54 am

    I love this, but i have to admit, i have never made at home, always bought from the counter in the fish shopw here.

    Reply
  26. Ricardo says

    February 18, 2009 at 11:24 am

    That looks amazing, I am a fanatic for seafood dishes, or dishes that contain selfish like prawns, crabs etc.. the colours here are amazing like a sun shining on a beach, and a couple of overdone British tourists lol…I loved it well done thanks for sharing the recipe

    Reply
  27. Jamie says

    February 18, 2009 at 11:33 am

    Kevin you have got to stop! I am starting to dream of your food and not only at night. I adore shrimp and this looks and sounds fantastic! But sadly I have no luck either finding or ordering at any fishmonger fresh shrimp in Nantes. I guess I will have to start begging at restaurants.

    Reply
  28. Maya says

    February 18, 2009 at 12:14 pm

    I am a shrimp lover myself…Nice.

    Reply
  29. pigpigscorner says

    February 18, 2009 at 12:48 pm

    This looks and sounds amazing! Adding rice and to puree it is something new….perfect bisque!

    Reply
  30. Julia says

    February 18, 2009 at 12:49 pm

    this looks great! I especially like the double addition of sherry and brandy — that’s my kind of cooking!

    Reply
  31. Lori says

    February 18, 2009 at 1:04 pm

    I have been looking for a good shrimp bisque recipe! This one looks like a winner.

    Reply
  32. ttfn300 says

    February 18, 2009 at 1:38 pm

    ooh, this looks fantastic 🙂

    Reply
  33. Dawn says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:16 pm

    I’m a shrimp fanatic too. You are amazing! I absolutely love this!

    Reply
  34. Anonymous says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    okay. I am in love with how this looks! I am so curious if it tastes as wonderful. A very pleasing mix!

    Reply
  35. OhioMom says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:33 pm

    Looks yummy!

    Reply
  36. Maria says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:37 pm

    I love the color of your bisque! Looks amazing!

    Reply
  37. Debbie says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    That looks fantastic…another recipe keeper!

    Reply
  38. HoneyB says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:49 pm

    If I could order this for lunch today – I would be tickled pink!

    Reply
  39. lisaiscooking says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:51 pm

    Delicious looking bisque! And, there’s not as much cream in the recipe as I thought there would be. Looks great!

    Reply
  40. Sweet Bird says

    February 18, 2009 at 2:52 pm

    Wow, Kevin. This looks amazing. I love lobster bisque and I love shrimp, so I bet shrimp bisque would be amazing!

    Reply
  41. Cheryl says

    February 18, 2009 at 3:47 pm

    Kevin, that sounds delicious and beautiful to boot!

    Reply
  42. Greg says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:00 pm

    Wow, Kevin! How did you get such a great color? I have not made a bisque before. I think it is about time.

    Reply
  43. mikky says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:00 pm

    oh kev, this is my hubby’s favorite!!! thanks for sharing… :)hagis

    Reply
  44. Elra says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:01 pm

    Kevin, you use dashi for this? that’s so clever. I use dashi sparingly, never thought of using it for the bisque. It’s delicious, of course!
    Cheers,
    Elra

    Reply
  45. Manggy says

    February 18, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    I’m not intimidated at all! Except for the shrimp, herbs, sherry, and celery I think I have everything at home! (key word *at home*, sigh)

    Reply
  46. Yasmeen says

    February 18, 2009 at 6:04 pm

    I love the bright color of the soup,and the shrimp look very inviting.

    Reply
  47. Anonymous says

    February 18, 2009 at 8:28 pm

    The sweetness of seafood makes them perfect for this. Crab and lobster are good too. Yours has great color, especially with those shrimp on top!

    Reply
  48. Not Another Omnivore says

    February 18, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    Not a shrimp eater, but I have this on file to make for the many people I love that are!

    NAOmni

    Reply
  49. Karen says

    February 18, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    What a gorgeous color and those shrimp on top look like they’ve been cooked to perfection! Sounds delicious!

    Reply
  50. Sandie says

    February 18, 2009 at 9:39 pm

    Lobster Bisque is my absolute favorite—I’ll have to give this Shrimp Bisque a try!

    Reply
  51. Marjie says

    February 18, 2009 at 10:42 pm

    I love a good bisque, and I’m not surprised that it originates with Peter. Yours is beautiful.

    Reply
  52. Sue says

    February 18, 2009 at 10:44 pm

    I had shrimp bisque at one of our local restaurants, it was so rich and creamy and I loved it. Yours Kevin looks equally as good if not more so. Will have to give this recipe a try as both my DH and I are seafood lovers.
    Wonderful pics as usual.

    Reply
  53. Soma says

    February 18, 2009 at 10:59 pm

    I am a shrimp lover & That is one great dish with all shrimp in it. Look at that color!

    Reply
  54. Jennifer says

    February 18, 2009 at 11:31 pm

    I love a good seafood bisque! yours looks bright and delicious! 🙂

    Reply
  55. chez aurora says

    February 18, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    that lools mouthwateringly good…the recipe sounds like it’s packed with flavor … nice job!

    Barbara

    Reply
  56. Pam says

    February 19, 2009 at 12:49 am

    I’ve been wanting to try a bisque – they look so rich and yummy.

    Reply
  57. jillian says

    February 19, 2009 at 2:20 am

    What a beautiful soup! This is quite different from other shrimp bisque recipes I’ve made.

    Reply
  58. Psychgrad says

    February 19, 2009 at 3:50 am

    Nice colour Kevin! You certainly don’t shy away from the the recipes with lots of ingredients. I would love to see the inside of your cupboards.

    Reply
  59. [eatingclub] vancouver || js says

    February 19, 2009 at 5:03 am

    Absolutely fab: can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  60. Foxglove says

    February 19, 2009 at 5:41 am

    that shrimp bisque looks so pretty! u mentioned somethin bout using the shells of the prawns as the base of the soup? that sounded like wht we have over here , its called Hokkien Mee.

    Breadcrumbs to coat the fish and the actual sauce/gravy is the melted butter and crushed garlic. and before u serve it squeeze some good amount of lemon juice and its good to go!

    Reply
  61. Jaime says

    February 19, 2009 at 5:51 am

    that looks delicious!

    Reply
  62. Paula says

    February 19, 2009 at 7:25 am

    Mmmm … yum! I love soup, and I’m not put off at all by the recipe. It’s gorgeous!

    Reply
  63. Mrs Ergül says

    February 19, 2009 at 8:23 am

    I will serve this the next time we have guest!

    Reply
  64. Anonymous says

    February 19, 2009 at 10:54 am

    New to me..still drools kevin.

    Reply
  65. Jan says

    February 20, 2009 at 12:59 am

    Amazing looking soup. I’ll try this sometime, but right now I’ve eaten enough soup to float a ship. 🙂 Thank goodness I am now onto the soft foods diet.

    Reply
  66. Chef Fresco says

    February 20, 2009 at 2:40 am

    This looks great Kevin! We’ll have to try it

    Reply
  67. E says

    February 20, 2009 at 3:47 am

    I'm going to try this one out & thought you might like it…Roasted Shrimp & Broccoli: http://www.theamateurgourmet.com/2009/02/roasted_shrimp.html.

    Love your blog. The photography is beautiful (love food photos) and the recipes are fabulous-looking…too good…makes me hungry!

    😉

    Reply
  68. dec says

    February 20, 2009 at 10:02 am

    hi Kevin
    tried this recipe yesterday and after spending one to two hours in the kitchen the result was a little disappointing. It tasted like a normal tomato soup. 🙁
    Next time i’ll skip the parts with the shrimp shells and the rice cause there was no shrimp flavour in the bisque and it was thick enough before ive put in the rice…
    regards fabi

    Reply
  69. Ingrid says

    February 20, 2009 at 5:28 pm

    Ow, that looks amazing! I love shrimp.
    ~ingrid

    Reply
  70. Mrs. L says

    February 20, 2009 at 9:14 pm

    I am a huge shrimp fan myself. This looks wonderful and I know my husband would also love it.

    Reply
  71. Homecooked says

    February 21, 2009 at 10:54 am

    This looks superb! The colour of the bisque is so rich.

    Reply
  72. PG says

    February 22, 2009 at 7:41 am

    this looks so good! I love shrimps aand all those lovely ingredients, mouth watering!

    Reply
  73. pastry studio says

    February 22, 2009 at 6:40 pm

    This looks absolutely phenomenal. I can’t wait to try it. You are at the top of your game!

    Reply
  74. Nicole says

    February 26, 2009 at 1:55 am

    I am currently eating this and I added a bit of cayenne powder when I cooked the shrimp. My only comment is that it needs a little parsley but is so tasty.

    Reply
  75. Olen says

    March 3, 2009 at 9:17 pm

    I haven’t tried the recipe yet, but I have no doubt that it is good: Back in the early ’90’s I had a little seafood restaurant on the New Jersey shore (Beach Haven), and it always annoyed me when I had to discard the shells from shrimp I peeled for other dishes. I came up with a bisque that used the flavor from simmering the shells, at the rate of a gallon of water to the shells from 5 pounds of shrimp. The flavor was so intense that no additional shrimp was needed, except for texture and as a garnish.

    To keep the dish a bit more healthful, I would let the broth cool and then add powdered milk and butter, rather than cream. Don’t turn up your nose until you try it. My customers raved about it and had no idea that, in a way, it was flavored with garbage!

    Reply
  76. Mihaela says

    July 21, 2010 at 5:12 am

    I just came across your blog, I like it a lot. I am a food blogger myself, with only few months blogging. Anyway, this soup looks amazing! I can't wait to try it!

    Reply
  77. Anonymous says

    February 9, 2012 at 2:43 am

    Is there suppose to be duplicates in the ingredients? Such as dry sherry and brandy. I'm assuming since they are duplicates, we don't need to duplicate? Just wanted to double check.

    Reply
  78. Kevin says

    February 9, 2012 at 11:24 am

    Anonymous: There are no duplicates in the recipe. Any ingredient that is in the recipe twice is used in two different locations in the recipe. I like to list the ingredients in the order that you get to them in the recipe so that you can go down through them one at a time as you follow the instructions.

    Reply
  79. Carla says

    May 9, 2012 at 7:45 pm

    "Add half of the shrimp and the juices to the soup and puree until smooth."

    I am stuck here. When you say puree it, do I have to put it in a processor to do so? BTW great recipe.

    Reply
  80. Kevin says

    May 10, 2012 at 10:58 am

    Carla: You can puree them in a food processor or blender or even use an immersion blender right in the pot. I updated the recipe to indicate that. Enjoy!

    Reply
  81. TheFultons says

    January 26, 2013 at 8:02 pm

    WOW! Absolutely delicious! I am so grateful I found this recipe…..I'll be making it quite frequently!!!

    Reply
  82. Anonymous says

    April 21, 2013 at 12:28 am

    Have made this twice in the last 2 weeks – once a "dry run" and the comment was that it was a bit "boozy"; however, the 2nd time I made it I cut down the 2nd addition of sherry and brandy. Still delicious but will stick with the way the recipe was originally submitted and add the sherry and brandy as it made it much richer. Prepped the veggies 2 days before, made the soup the day before and had fabulous leftovers the day after. A definite keeper. Thank you

    Reply
  83. FOOD GEEK GRAZE says

    March 20, 2015 at 11:31 pm

    love how this construct uses shrimp in a million ways. thank you for the share 🙂

    Reply
  84. Stacy M says

    January 20, 2016 at 9:12 pm

    Substitute bottled clam juice for some or all of the water and chicken broth, for even bigger seafood flavor 🙂

    Reply
  85. kevin says

    January 21, 2016 at 2:09 pm

    Stacy M: I also recommend the clam juice!

    Reply

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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.
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