
Shrimp Bisque Recipe
Shrimp bisque is a thick, creamy soup cooked with succulent shrimp and heavy cream. It’s a chowder-like soup loaded with a sweet and savory taste from shrimp, onion, and clam juice.
This soup is absolutely delicious, rich and deep in seafood flavors. In this easy recipe, you will make the best restaurant-quality shrimp bisque with only a few simple ingredients.

Why This Recipe Works?
This recipe is perfect for all seasons and any occasion. It’s great to serve as a light lunch with crusty bread on top or a tasty starter to complete a meal.
It’s also a freezer-friendly recipe. The soup stores well in the freezer for up to 3 months and is perfect to serve anytime. Make sure to freeze the soup without adding the heavy cream. It helps to prevent a grainy texture after reheating. You may stir in the heavy cream while warming the soup before serving.
This recipe makes 2 to 3 servings at a fraction of the price in restaurants. You can always double the ingredients to make a bigger portion for everyone in the family.
Shrimp Bisque Ingredients
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Sherry cooking wine
- Garlic salt or celery salt
- Ground paprika
- Tomato paste
- Clam juice or chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Water or seafood stock
- Unsalted butter
- Salt
- Shrimp
Sherry cooking wine is used to jazz up the overall flavor with a sweet taste. You may also use dry white wine, Japanese cooking sake or Japanese mirin.
Adding garlic salt or celery salt instantly brings an extra savory flavor to the soup. You may add an herby taste to the soup with a couple of dried bay leaves and fresh Italian parsley sprigs. Cook the herbs with the soup and remove and discard before pureeing.
For a hot variation, you may use ground paprika or cayenne pepper.

How To Make Shrimp Bisque?
The traditional French shrimp bisque takes a long in the kitchen to prepare, but this easy variation is completed in less than 40 minutes.
First, heat the oil in a soup pot and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes until aromatic and translucent. Then, add sherry, seasonings, tomato paste, and clam juice. Stir well and simmer for 20 minutes.

Next, puree the mixture with a blender or immersion blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pot and add heavy cream, water and unsalted butter. Stir constantly to smooth out the texture, and add salt to taste.

Finally, add shrimp and simmer for a few minutes until cooked through. Serve immediately with croutons and freshly chopped parsley on top, if desired.
Cook’s Tips
- You may use either fresh or frozen shrimp that are peeled and deveined.
- If using frozen shrimp, deforest them properly by soaking them in a bowl with room temperature water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry before cooking.

Frequently Asked Question
The easiest and quickest way to thicken the shrimp bisque is to add a cornstarch slurry.
Whisk 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water in a bowl, and stir into the soup in the last few minutes of simmering.
Store the leftover shrimp bisque in an airtight glass container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. To serve, reheat in the microwave and serve warm.
The soup also freezes well in an airtight container or freezer-safe ziploc bags for up to 3 months.
How Many Calories Per Serving?
This recipe has 333 calories per serving.

Shrimp Bisque
Rich, creamy Shrimp Bisque is loaded with succulent shrimp. It's easy to make a restaurant-quality soup with only a few simple ingredients and less than 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup sherry cooking wine
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or celery salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup clam juice or chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup water or seafood stock
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 lb shrimp peeled, deveined, and cut into bite size
- 1 cup crouton for serving (optional)
- Freshly chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Directions
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1
Heat olive oil in a medium soup pot on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes until aromatic and translucent.
-
2
Add sherry and season with garlic salt and paprika; stir well. Then stir in tomato paste and clam juice. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes on medium-low heat.
-
3
Puree the soup with a blender or immersion blender until smooth.
-
4
Return the soup to the pot and add heavy cream, water, and unsalted butter. Stir constantly to smooth out the texture, then add salt to taste.
-
5
Finally, add shrimp and simmer the soup for another 5 to 8 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.
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6
Serve immediately with croutons and freshly chopped parsley on top, if desired.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Recipe Adapted: Leite's culinaria
Tips:
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I am trying to pin this recipe to Pinterest and not seeing a way to do that and when I attempt to upload it doesn’t work. Please help!
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Can this recipe be made lactose free? Would lactose free whole milk ok to substitute for heavy cream? I’ve not come across Lactose-Free Heavy Cream. thanks,
Yes you can try!