This silky shrimp bisque recipe is rich in flavor and elevated with a splash of sherry. Wonderful for special occasions, such as Valentine's Day!
Shrimp Bisque Recipe with Sherry
This heavenly shrimp bisque recipe has Valentine's Day written all over it! As Cupid prances in, carrying his trusty bow and quiver of arrows, food talk inevitably turns to oysters, chocolate, and other well-known aphrodisiacs.
Did you know that honey, avocados, and garlic make the list? Garlic - really? Garlic breath to get you in the mood - not on my watch. In the multiple articles on aphrodisiacs I read, however, "shrimp bisque" did not make appearance on a single one. How this creamy seafood soup got ousted in favor of garlic, I will never know.
Traditionally, bisques are made with a good deal of butter and cream, which helps to achieve the silky texture. However, in keeping with my New Year's resolutions, I lightened up this bisque by replacing butter with heart-healthy olive oil and reducing the amount of cream to a mere quarter cup for four servings.
Any concern I had over losing the distinctive creamy texture was driven away at first slurp. The shrimp stock, flavored with dry sherry, blends beautifully with the shrimp and a mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) to make a soup that is worthy of aphrodisiac status.
How to make this shrimp bisque recipe:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan set over moderately high heat. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, until the tails turn pink, about 2 minutes.
Add sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until most of sherry is evaporated. Add water and bay leaf, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes. Pour shrimp stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Press gently on the shrimp shells to release extra liquid. Discard shells and bay leaf.
While stock is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a bowl and set aside. To the saucepan, add 1 tablespoon olive and carrots, celery, and onion.
Cook until the onion and celery are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp stock, rice, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, and salt. Cover the saucepan and simmer the mixture until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Reserve 8 shrimp and stir the remaining shrimp into the soup. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
Using an immersion blender or a regular blender (in 2 to 3 batches), puree the soup until smooth. Take care not to burn yourself. Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in cream. Reheat on low.
Serve soup and garnish each serving with 2 of the reserved shrimp.
Shrimp Bisque Recipe with Sherry
Ingredients
- ¾ pound medium shrimp shelled & deveined, shells reserved
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- â…“ cup dry sherry
- 5 cups water
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1 large stalk celery chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon long-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan set over moderately high heat. Add shrimp shells and cook, stirring frequently, until the tails turn pink, about 2 minutes.
- Add sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until most of sherry is evaporated.
- Add water and bay leaf, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Pour shrimp stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl. Press gently on the shrimp shells to release extra liquid. Discard shells and bay leaf.
- While stock is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
- To the saucepan, add 1 tablespoon olive and carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until the onion and celery are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in shrimp stock, rice, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Cover the saucepan and simmer the mixture until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
- Reserve 8 shrimp and stir the remaining shrimp into the soup. Allow the mixture to cool for 10 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender or a regular blender (in 2 to 3 batches), puree the soup until smooth. Take care not to burn yourself.
- Return the soup to the saucepan and stir in cream. Reheat on low.
- Serve soup and garnish each serving with 2 of the reserved shrimp.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Pegasuslegend
Sounds delicious and its really awesome presentation!
Hester aka The Chef Doc
Man, what a great idea--making your own shrimp stock. For some reason, I just keep throwing away my shells! Not anymore! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! It looks absolutely scrumptious 🙂
Belinda @zomppa
Did not know that about avocados. What a beautiful dish!
RecipeGirl
Good God, this looks evil-awesome.
Wilde in the Kitchen
This bisque looks to pretty! My boyfriend once asked what a bisque was, I just answered it was a soup 😉 Now I know the difference!
Maria
Love the presentation of this soup!
Tracy
Goodness this looks lovely. I love a great seafood bisque!
doughmesstic
Another fantastic recipe of yours I am going to have to try!
Kalyn
What a gorgeous recipe for Valentine's Day!
Lizzy
Such a lovely soup!!! Sounds delectable~
Jenny
Mmmm, this looks like my kind of soup! Lovely!
Chef E
I love bisque and yours looks wonderful! Love the valentines embellishment too!
EatLiveRun
Shrimp (and crab) bisque has always been one of my favorite meals but I've always been so intimidated to make it because of the stock! Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe.
Emily Malloy
The little heart is my favorite part!
(A little poem for you on this Valentine's Day Weekend!!!)
A Canadian Foodie
I am crazy over shrimp bisque - and sherry would be the perfect little sparkle in that bowl. I actually just bought a huge bag of shrimp shells from my fish monger yesterday to make a bisque, so I believe the stars must be aligned and that reading your post today cannot be a coincidence!
Your recipe sounds very much like the one I had in mind, except I planned to use about 4 times the shrimp shells to get an intense flavour in the broth.
I will let you know how it goes!!
🙂
Valerie
bellini valli
Very decadent and lovely for our Valentine's. Making a bisque is experiencing a new revival!!!!
Pretend Chef
Perfect recipe for a romantic dinner for two! I haven't met a bisque I haven't loved. This sounds and looks incredible. Are the bowls pictured from Crate and Barrel? I was browsing their website the other day and was drooling over all of their home goods.
Lin Ann
Sounds absolutely wonderful! Gorgeous photo!!!
Heather (Heather's Dish)
my father in law will be so impressed when i make this for them...shrimp bisque is his favorite!
Sinful Southern Sweets
Oh my! Looks ridiculously good!