Published March 19, 2021.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Don’t let those leftover shrimp shells go to waste, because this super easy-to-make creamy shrimp bisque is nothing short of delicious!
We are a soup family, and yes, we eat it all year long. If you are just like us then you definitely have to check out how to make my Tortilla soup or my Corn Chowder.
Shrimp Bisque
Shrimp bisque is a smooth soup made from shrimp stock that is then thickened with a roux and creamed at the end. A bisque can only be considered a bisque if it is made from shellfish, any other soup claiming to be a bisque is simply a cream of fill in the blank.
Bisque is a soup that has French origins and can apply to any soup that uses crustaceans and their shells when preparing the stock portion of the soup. There are multiple ways to make a bisque, but I believe this recipe is the most classical version.
Here are some typical shrimp bisque ingredients:
- Shrimp Shells
- Mirepoix
- Herbs
- Tomato Paste
- White Wine or Cognac
- Water or Fish Stock
- Roux
- Heavy Whipping Cream
How to Make Shrimp Bisque from Scratch
Follow these simple instructions below to make this delicious homemade shrimp bisque recipe from scratch:
Start by cooking the shrimp shells in a large pot over medium heat until the shells turn pink. Set them aside.
In the same pot with a little more butter, lightly brown the mirepoix and herbs, about 4-6 minutes.
Mix in some tomato paste and cook until it becomes fragrant about 2-4 minutes.
Deglaze with white wine and cognac and cook until it’s almost gone, or au sec.
Add the shrimp shells back in along with water and simmer for 45 minutes to 60 minutes over low to medium heat.
Using a hand blender roughly blend the soup, don’t worry about trying to get it perfectly smooth, it won’t happen.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer or a chinois into a container or pot. Set aside.
Make a roux in a large pot over low heat and pour the soup back into the pot.
Turn the heat up to medium-high to activate the roux while continually stirring until it becomes very thick.
Add in the cream, salt, and pepper, and whisk until combined.
Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer and serve with optional garnishes.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: This soup is meant to be eaten right away, but you can make it up to 1 day ahead of time. Be sure the cream has not broken from the soup before serving.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a small size pot and cook over low heat while whisking until warm. You can also heat in a microwave until warm.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving.
chef notes + tips
- If you are using pink shrimp shells then they will turn white when cooking them in the first step.
- If you don’t want to puree the shells because it weirds you out, back off the 12 cups of water and only put in 8 cups of water to further concentrate the flavor. You will have less soup of course.
- Use this exact same procedure with leftover lobster tails and lobster bodies if wanting to make lobster bisque.
- You may need to strain both the stock and the creamed bisque a few times to ensure it is really smooth.
- There are some optional garnishes for this soup that include some cooked shrimp, crème Fraiche, thinned sour cream with milk, and thinly sliced chives.
- If the cream breaks and the cream separates from the soup, whisk in a small amount of roux over medium heat in a pot to help bring it back together. The same rules with heat and whisking apply when normally working with a roux.
- White wine options are chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc.
More Soup Recipes
- Cream of Mushroom
- Potato Soup
- Beef and Barley
- Ham and Bean
- Ribollita
Be sure to follow me onFacebook,YouTube,Instagram,andPinterest,and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!
Video
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Creamy Shrimp Bisque Recipe
5 from 10 votes
Don’t let those leftover shrimp shells go to waste, because this super easy-to-make creamy shrimp bisque is nothing short of delicious!
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- shrimp shells from 4 pounds of shrimp
- 2 small, small diced yellow onions
- 2 small diced celery stalks
- ½ small diced small fennel bulb
- 2 small diced carrots
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 small bunch of parsley
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh tarragon
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ cup cognac
- 12 cups water
- 2 ½ roux recipes
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- sea salt and ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
Add 1 tablespoon of butter to a large pot over medium heat and cook the shrimp shells until they are pink in color. See note.
Set the shells to the side in a bowl and the remaining ½ tablespoon of butter to the pot over medium heat and in the onions, celery, fennel, carrots, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and tarragon, and cook until lightly browned about 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Mix in the tomato paste and cook over low heat until fragrant, about 2-4 minutes.
Deglaze by adding in the wine and cognac and cook until the liquid has been mostly absorbed into the vegetables and evaporated, which takes about 3-4 minutes. There should be 1 – 2 tablespoons remaining.
Add the shrimp shells back in along with the water and simmer over low to medium heat for 45-60 minutes.
Roughly blend the shrimp stock with a hand blender or do it in batch in a regular blender.
Strain the soup completely with a fine mesh strainer or chinois into a container and set it aside briefly.
Next, in a separate large pot over low heat make the roux and then pour in the shrimp stock.
Turn the heat to medium-high while continually whisking until it becomes very thick. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Finish by whisking in the cream, salt, and white pepper.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer or chinois until completely smooth.
Serve with optional cooked shrimp, crème Fraiche, or sliced chives
Notes
Chef Notes:
- Make-Ahead: This soup is meant to be eaten right away, but you can make it up to 1 day ahead of time. Be sure the cream has not broken from the soup before serving.
- How to Reheat: Add the desired amount to a small size pot and cook over low heat while whisking until warm. You can also heat in a microwave until warm.
- How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating and serving.
- If you are using pink shrimp shells then they will turn white when cooking them in the first step.
- If you don’t want to puree the shells because it weirds you out, back off the 12 cups of water and only put in 8 cups of water to further concentrate the flavor. You will have less soup of course.
- You would use this exact same procedure with leftover lobster tails and lobster bodies if wanting to make lobster bisque.
- You may need to strain both the stock and the creamed bisque a few times to ensure it is really smooth.
- There are some optional garnishes for this soup that include some cooked shrimp, crème Fraiche, thinned sour cream with milk, and thinly sliced chives.
- If the cream breaks and the cream separates from the soup, whisk in a small amount of roux over medium heat in a pot to help bring it back together. The same rules with heat and whisking apply when normally working with a roux.
- white wine options are chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon blanc.
Nutrition
Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 66mgPotassium: 189mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2536IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 1mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: French
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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20 comments
- sue😁
Thank you ChefBilly tasty recipe 😁😋
- Reply
- Tom
Great taste. Mine didn’t come out as thick as I think it was supposed to, and I suspect that’s because I didn’t do the right math for “2.5 roux recipe.”
Looking at the recipe I say a 3:2 ration flour to butter, and maybe that wasn’t enough.
I also started with frozen shrimp shells and heads which took a little longer to cook, but I don’t think that would have made a difference to the thickness.
Also, my post wasn’t big enought for 12 cups of water so I stopped at 10.
Blending the shells was fun, but it had a weird affect on the submersion blender–clogging the wholes on the side. I took it out every now and again and removed the shells.
But WOW, the flavor was incredible! I have a whole new standard to measure restaurant bisques when next I try one. I think next time I’d like to add a little cayenne pepper to add a little zip to the back of the throat.
- Reply
- sue 😁
Fantastic yum oh recipe thank you ChiefBilly 🌟😁😋👋
- Reply
- sue 😁
Sooooo tasty will so enjoy this a nother one of your favourite recipes thank you ChefBilly 😋😁🤩💙
- Reply
- Jane Aiello
Why don’t you roast the shrimp shells in the oven? This step adds so much depth to the bisque! I was hoping this was part of your recipe.🤷🏼♀️
- Reply
- Andrea Stein
Fabulous recipe !!
- Reply
many thanks!
- Reply
- Tom Brennan
Just finished making a batch and oh my word. Wife came downstairs wondering what that amazing smell was. Flavor is on point and makes saving all those shrimp shells and heads worth it. Thanks for a great recipe.
- Reply
my pleasure!
- Reply
- Pj
I love this Shrimp Bisque! Perfection! This is my 3rd time and it’s amazingly delicious! A keeper folks!
- Reply
Love it!
- Reply
- Howard Slobodinsky
This was outright the best shrimp bisque I have ever tasted. Flavors were sooo good. Thanks Billy, your recipes are greatly appreciated
- Reply
thanks for making it.
- Reply
- Christine
I’ve made this recipe several times. It’s SO delicious. I have done it both blended with tails, or strained the tails. Both turned out great. I like to have a piece of crusty bread to dip 🙂
- Reply
- Paula
Yes! I made this recipe! It was amazing! I’m not a good cook and seem to not accomplish what I set out to do! Seems I follow the recipes precisely and I’m disappointed. I wanted the lobster bisque but in checking out the price of a lobster and my record I decided to go with shrimp bisque. I’m in heaven!! This was the best bisque I’ve ever had. I reduced this recipe to 1 lb of shrimp reducing the ingredients to 1/4 the ingredients. I was going to share this but didn’t after all! I couldn’t wait to have it again and again! Thank you! I feel inspired. Except my Keto Jambalaya (another chef) isn’t what I was hoping, I made today. Wawa! This is a keeper! Thx Billy! I’m after more of YOUR recipes now!
- Reply
- Sara
I missed where to put in the wine and cognac- so I did after the tomato paste. Reduced and then added the water. Was this correct?
- Reply
yes
- Reply
- Catrina Watkins
Thank you so much for this recipe
- Reply
of course!
- Reply
