Creamy Shrimp Bisque
This Creamy Shrimp Bisque is a rich seafood soup that makes shrimp the star of the show! You’ll love the wine-infused tomato base and the juicy shrimp in every bite.
The original meaning of bisque was a soup made with ground crustacean shells, which thickened the soup making it rich and creamy. If eating shells doesn’t appeal to you, good news: these days, most bisque recipes get their thickness from heavy cream or half and half like I use for my Lobster Bisque. No grinding shrimp shells needed for this creamy shrimp bisque!
While bisques were originally made with shellfish, now the term is used to describe other creamy soups like my Baked Tomato Bisque. But this shrimp bisque is a little more true to the original (minus the ground shells).
The creamy base is infused with tomato flavor. White wine adds some depth, heavy cream makes it fabulously rich, but it’s those shrimp that really make it a standout. If you’re looking for soup that’s filling and hearty, but a little more elevated than something like Loaded Potato Soup, this is it!
Ingredients for Shrimp Bisque
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need for this recipe. For the full measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Large Shrimp – Buy shrimp with the shells and tails on.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I like to use olive oil, but you can use another oil you like cooking with.
- Vidalia Onion – Or another sweet onion like Maui or Walla Walla.
- Fennel Bulb – If you’ve never cooked with fennel before, don’t be intimidated! The fronds (the dill-like leaves at the top) can be discarded or used for garnish, then cut the bulb at the bottom. It can smuggle some dirt and grit between the layers, so I recommend washing the fennel after slicing it.
- Garlic – A classic flavor builder in soup.
- Tomato Paste – Tomato paste isn’t just for tomato flavor, but also umami.
- Wine – Use a dry white wine like Chardonnay.
- Seasonings – Kosher salt, fresh thyme, bay leaf, paprika, and cayenne pepper all come together to make this shrimp bisque delicious. Feel free to scale back on the cayenne if you like.
- Seafood Stock – You can make your own homemade seafood stock or use store-bought.
- Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes – If you have a can of regular diced tomatoes in the pantry, you can use those instead of buying fire roasted. Fire roasted have more flavor, but it’s not a deal-breaker to use regular diced tomatoes!
- Heavy Cream – For that signature shrimp bisque richness. I highly recommend using heavy cream, not half-and-half—and definitely not whole milk!
- Fresh Lemon Juice – For a bright, fresh finish.
How to Make Creamy Shrimp Bisque
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page for full printable instructions.
- Prep the shrimp. Steam the shrimp in salted water until they’re cooked through. Remove the shrimp and peel them once they’re cool. Reserve the cooking water.
- Cook the aromatics. Cook the onion in the olive oil until it’s softened, then add the fennel. Once that’s softened too, add the garlic and cook for a minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens.
- Simmer. Pour the wine into the pan and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in the herbs and spices, seafood stock, reserved cooking liquid, and tomatoes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Puree. Remove the bay leaf, then blend with an immersion blender. Stir in the lemon juice and cream.
- Finish. Chop the shrimp and divide them into bowls. Ladle the bisque over the top and garnish as desired.
Tips for Making Shrimp Bisque
These tips will help you make perfect shrimp bisque!
- Reserve the shrimp shells. You can use them to make seafood stock and freeze it for the next time you’re making shrimp bisque (or another recipe that calls for seafood stock). Or you can freeze the shells in a freezer bag and use them to make stock another day.
- Blend in a countertop blender for a smoother consistency. For a perfectly smooth bisque, you might want to blend the soup in a countertop blender in batches. This is a pain to do, which is why I like to use an immersion blender, but immersion blenders usually leave some unblended bits behind.
- Use a quality wine. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive bottle on the shelf, but it shouldn’t be the cheapest either. And definitely don’t use cooking wine, which is almost universally garbage!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Transfer leftover bisque to an airtight container. If possible, store the shrimp separately. Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Warm the shrimp bisque in a saucepan over medium-low heat. If the shrimp was refrigerated separately, divide it into bowls then ladle the soup over them.
What to Serve With Shrimp Bisque
- Spring Mix Salad
- Easy Brioche Rolls
- Easy Ranch Oyster Crackers
- Our Best House Salad
- No Knead Sourdough Bread
- Everything Sourdough Crackers
More Creamy Soup Recipes
- Creamy Tomato Basil Soup
- Cream of Asparagus Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Cream of Mushroom Soup
- Cream of Crab Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
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Get the Recipe: Creamy Shrimp Bisque
Ingredients
- 32 ounces large shrimp, shell and tail on
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 vidalia onion, diced
- 1 fennel bulb, sliced thin
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups Chardonnay, or other dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 cups seafood stock
- 1 (14-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- In a large pot, steam the Shrimp, shell-side down, in salted water for approximately 3-4 minutes or until they are cooked through. Using tongs, transfer the shrimp to a plate and allow to cool. Reserve the steaming liquid for the stock.
- When the shrimp is cool enough to handle, peel the shrimp and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the fennel and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook until it the mixture becomes a deep burgundy color.
- Add the wine to the pot and deglaze, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the brown bits. Stir in the thyme, bay leaf, paprika, cayenne pepper, seafood stock, reserved steaming liquid and tomatoes. Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf from the broth. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in the lemon juice and cream.
- Chop the shrimp into bite size pieces and divide among your soup bowls. Ladle the soup over the shrimp and serve immediately. Garnish with fennel fronds, if desire