Easy Shrimp Bisque

Easy Shrimp Bisque is a rich, thick soup loaded with Argentine red shrimp and vegetables.  In only 16 minutes this bisque is pureed into a silky soup.  It’s cozy, comforting, and delicious!  Serve it with a green salad and some crusty bread for a simple yet scrumptious meal.  Perfect for an easy dinner.

Classic Shrimp Bisque…

A southern classic, this easy shrimp bisque is DIVINE!

We love a good shrimp bisque every once in a while.  My first experience with shrimp bisque was when we moved to South Carolina a few years ago.

Though many think of the ocean and beautiful Palmetto trees, the winter months can get quite chilly. 

This delicious-tasting soup is sure to warm you up on a cold day and satisfy your Southern craving! 

Shrimp bisque is often featured in the Lowcountry restaurants but with this recipe, you can make it in your own kitchen in a quick 16 minutes.  

Serve it with our mini grilled pimento cheese sandwiches or with our savory grilled cheese and pear sandwich for an easy dinner. 

Maybe a simple side like a green salad and our easy homemade cornbread recipe would be great too.

Well, you’re in for a treat!  Today, I will show you step-by-step photos (and a video too) which are included in this post on how to make this delicious and easy shrimp bisque in the comfort of your own home. 

What is a Bisque?

A bisque is a thick, creamy French soup made with shellfish like shrimp, lobster, or a combination of crustaceans, and it is pureed.  It also includes some brandy and spices, heavy cream, butter, and seafood stock.   

But our Shrimp Bisque is different… 

• First, instead of enriching this soup with heavy cream, I decided to use only half and half, along with fresh vegetables and pureed them to give it that thick, rich texture.

• In addition, I decided to add some chicken broth to give it an additional savory flavor. 

• Best of all? I am cutting the calories and fat in my bisque and doing it with a few staple ingredients. 

A win-win!  And it is DE-LI-CIOUS!!

Ingredients Needed to make this Easy Shrimp Bisque…

For this recipe, here is what you will need:

• Frozen Shrimp: choose a package of “already cleaned and deveined” frozen shrimp for this recipe, and 1 pound will suffice.
• Olive Oil: choose a good quality olive oil, or extra virgin olive oil.
• Vegetables: you will need 1 onion, 1 carrot, and a few garlic cloves.
• Herbs: you will need 1 bay leaf, some sprigs of fresh thyme, and some fresh Italian parsley.
• Liquid: some brandy or Cognac, plus some dry white wine is needed. Also, you will need some organic chicken broth as well.
• Light Cream: you will need some half-and-half (or light cream) to give it the right amount of richness.
• Flour: some flour is used to thicken the sauce.
• Seasonings: you will need sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and some cayenne pepper.

What kind of shrimp to use for our Shrimp Bisque?

• To make this easy shrimp bisque practically effortless, it’s best to buy frozen shrimp that is “already cleaned, deveined” and with tails off.

• I found this package of Argentine Red Shrimp at our local Costco in the freezer section.  You may find them at Trader Joe’s as well. 

• I used about one pound of shrimp (at least 20 pieces).  And reserved the remaining frozen shrimp for another recipe like our shrimp cocktail with jalapeno peppers.

How To Thaw Frozen Shrimp for this Bisque?

TO THAW: Just allow the shrimp to defrost and drain in a bowl on your counter.  Or place the bag of frozen shrimp overnight in the refrigerator. 

THEN DRAIN: Allow the shrimp to drain in a colander. Do not force or speed up the thawing by placing shrimp under running water, or the shrimp will lose its flavor.

How To Make Easy Shrimp Bisque?

Here are 4-easy steps to making our easy shrimp bisque:

(*Full Printable Recipe Card Below!)

Step 1:  First, Sauté the Vegetables and Puree Them!

1. In a non-stick skillet or a medium-sized saucepan, on moderate heat, sauté the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of good-quality olive oil.  Add the fresh thyme, bay leaf, and some parsley and cook until the vegetables are softened, and the onions are golden, about 3 to 5 minutes.   

2. Pour in the wine, brandy, and 1/2 cup of chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes. 

3. Remove the bay leaf.

4. Next, transfer the mixture to a blender (allow the mixture to cool down a little) and blend it to puree. 

Step 2:  Next, Make the Cream Sauce!

1.  In a medium-sized saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat. 

2.  Add salt, the flour, and a dash of cayenne pepper and whisk until well blended. 

3.  Slowly whisk in the half and half and the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, and continue to simmer on low heat, stirring until it thickens. Then turn off the heat.

Step 3:  Cook the Shrimp!

1.  Using the same skillet.  Sauté the shrimp in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Do not overcook. 

2.  Remove from the stove, and toss 1/2 of the shrimp (about 10 pieces) into the blender, along with an additional 1/4 cup of chicken broth, and blend at high speed to puree the mixture. 

3.  Reserve the remaining shrimp to add on top of each bisque when serving.  

Step 4:  Combine to Complete the Bisque!

1. Transfer the shrimp mixture to the saucepan with the cream sauce and stir to combine.

2. Turn on the heat and heat thoroughly. 

3. Then ladle into soup bowls and serve with a couple of sautéed shrimp on top. Sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley and some fresh cracked pepper, and serve immediately.

WATCH VIDEO! …on How to Make Easy Shrimp Bisque? (1-minute)

QUESTIONS and TIPS!

• Can we use Seafood Stock instead of Chicken Broth? The answer is yes!  You can use seafood stock if you prefer.
• If I prefer, can I make my own homemade Seafood Stock?  You can if you want to. But it will require more time and more prep work. Plus, you will need to purchase fresh shrimp with shells and tails, rather than frozen.  And you will need to simmer the shrimp shells to get the most flavor out of them. 
• Can we use “Fresh Shrimp” instead of Frozen? Yes, but keep in mind, that the color of this shrimp bisque may slightly change as well. Plus, if you add more carrots, it may give an orange-hue color rather than a soft pinkish color.
• Can we use Non-Dairy Cream instead of Half and Half?  I believe you can use coconut cream in its place.  I have not tried it with coconut cream; but if you do, please let us know how it turns out.  

• How many days will it Stay Fresh in the Fridge?  You can store it in a sealed container and keep it chilled for up to 3 days only. 

• Can we freeze Shrimp Bisque?  Yes, you can! Best to use a freezer-safe container and allow your shrimp bisque to cool down beforehand, it freezes easily. This recipe can be frozen for roughly 1 to 2 months, after that you should plan your next batch! 

This recipe for Easy Shrimp Bisque is very simple, easy to make, and one your family will enjoy! 

With a few staple ingredients and some frozen shrimp, you too can make this restaurant-style bisque in no time. 

Whether it be a starting dish for entertaining or a weeknight comfort food for a chilly night for the family, this easy shrimp bisque will be a great hit!

It’s lusciously creamy and flavorful!  YUM!

ENJOY!!

Additional Bisques, Soups, and Stews You’ll Love…

The cold season is a wonderful time for making delicious soups. Here are some other easy recipes for you to enjoy.

• Tomato and Saffron Bisque
• Creamy Artichoke Soup
• Mixed Seafood Stew
• Classic Italian Minestrone Soup
• String Beans Tomato Potato Stew
• Tuscan Swiss Chard and Beans Soup

Plus, try our BEST Shrimp Mac and Cheese – it’s amazing and pure comfort food!

Yield: 3 to 4 servings

Easy Shrimp Bisque

Print

Easy Shrimp Bisque is a rich, thick soup loaded with shrimp and vegetables.  In only 16 minutes this bisque is pureed into a silky soup.  It's cozy, comforting, and delicious! 

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2/3 cups thinly sliced carrot (about 1 medium carrot) 
• 1 + 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 medium onion)
• 2 garlic cloves - chopped
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs of fresh parsley
• 1 Tbsp. brandy or Cognac
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken broth, plus extra - divided
• 4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter - divided
• 1/2 cup half and half (or light cream)
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 pound frozen medium-sized shrimp (about 20 pieces) - thawed, already peeled and deveined
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

Instructions

STEP 1: SAUTE the VEGETABLES:

1. In a non-stick skillet or a medium-size saucepan, on moderate heat, saute the vegetables with 3 tablespoons of good olive oil.  Add the fresh thyme, bay leaf, and parsley sprigs and cook until the vegetables softened, and the onions are golden for about 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Next, pour in white wine, the brandy, and 1/2 cup chicken broth, simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

3. Remove the bay leaf, and transfer the mixture to a blender and allow the mixture to cool down before you blend it.  Then cover with the lid, and blend on low speed, and gradually raise the speed to medium, then to high until it's fully blended and smooth.  Set it aside.

STEP 2: MAKE the CREAM SAUCE:

1. In a medium-size saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over moderate heat.  Add salt and flour, and a dash of cayenne pepper and whisk until well blended. 

2. Pour and whisk in the half and half and the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth, continue to simmer on low heat, stirring until it thickened.  Then turn off the heat.  The sauce should be very creamy.

STEP 3: COOK the SHRIMP:

1. Using the same skillet.  Saute the shrimp with remaining 1 tablespoon of butter for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Do not overcook.  Remove from stove, and toss 1/2 of the shrimp (about 10 pieces) into the blender, along with an additional 1/4 cup of chicken broth, and blend at high speed to puree the mixture.  Reserve the remaining shrimp to add on top of each bisque when serving.  

2. NEXT, Transfer the shrimp mixture into the saucepan with the cream sauce.  Stir to combine.  Taste the bisque and season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste. 

3. Heat the shrimp bisque thoroughly.  NOTE: If the shrimp bisque is too thick, you can add in additional chicken broth or just water to your desired consistency.

4. Ladle the bisque in soup bowls, and top each bowl with a couple of shrimp. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley over each bowl.  Serve immediately.

Serves 3 to 4 servings

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

3 to 4 servings

Serving Size:

1 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 360Total Fat: 24.7gCarbohydrates: 11.9gFiber: 1.5gSugar: 2.9gProtein: 21.7g

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Happy Cooking!  😉

Thanks for stopping by…

 xo Anna and Liz