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.
Printable Recipe
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.
Nicole
MAKE THIS SOUP!!! You think the recipe LOOKS good? Wait until you actually taste it! I made it yesterday with my boyfriend... best soup we've ever had. It's absolutely delicious. Trust me, make it. You will not regret it!
Jaime {sophistimom}
You have just made me very, very hungry.
I can get to your house in an hour. 🙂
Robyn
I can't wait to try this bisque recipe. It looks perfect and light!
Megan
What a wonderful way to start a meal!
Torviewtoronto
beautiful presentation
savoringeverybite
Pretty and delicious! The heart is cute and clever! Definitely a great idea for a starter romantic dinner!
Stephanie
Yum, yum. Bisques are awesome, no doubt! I love the warm earthiness of the sherry as it slowly creeps down your throat. :-p
Nithu
Lovely shrimp bisque recipe. Nice.
Melissa @IWasBornToCook
Looks delicious! Love the heart 🙂
Eliana
I need to send this post over to my husband so that he can stop telling me to stop eating garlic. haha Awesome looking soup.
Kankana
Such a perfect soup for valentine 🙂
Kate
Dara - the heart is wonderful and I love the recipe. I'm going to have to figure out a way to weave this into the daring cooks challenge of tempura and soba noodles and my hubby's request for duck ravioli. I know, how in the world did he come up with that??? Kate @kateiscooking
Shelby
I love the heart on top! Perfect Valentine Day soup!
marla
Dara, you are awesome for sharing a lighter version of bisque with us. Those cream hearts are precious. Your posts always make me so happy. I bet this soup tastes amazing - will need to try this on my Valentine 😉
Angie
I love all seafood bisque too, and this one looks perfect, thanks!
Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food
Gorgeous, deeply wonderful, and a bunch of other superlatives, Dara. It's prime-time shrimp harvest season on my coast, and we're doing shrimp dishes every other night at my house. Can't wait to try this lovely bisque!
Cheryl and Adam @ pictureperfectmeals.com
Beautiful and Delicious! Thanks for sharing this one!
Jessica @ How Sweet
I absolutely ADORE any form of seafood bisque. It it literally one of my favorite foods. This looks awesome Dara! 😉
Georgia (The Comfort of Cooking)
Hi Dara, I just wanted to let you know that I featured this beautiful shrimp bisque in my Valentine’s Day Favorites post today… Here’s the link: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2011/02/my-favorite-valentines-day-recipes.html. You have a beautiful blog and I'm so glad to have found you, and this recipe! Have a great weekend!
Elle
Oh, I can almost taste it! How pretty. I've never had shrimp bisque!