Shrimp bisque is a creamy, elegant soup made with tender shrimp and a splas of sherry creating velvety smooth dish. Serve it with crusty bread for a simple, satisfying meal that feels restaurant-worthy without the fuss.

I suppose that I would be designated a foodie. I love to cook. I can’t buy enough cookbooks. I have a blog about cooking. But, what is the definition of a foodie? I don’t consider myself a gourmet.
I like to prepare REAL meals, with REAL ingredients I can easily find, and not to mention, don’t cost me a fortune. So, I don’t consider myself a gourmet foodie, but a regular-joe (or jane!) foodie.
I am not much of a soup eater, but I do love a chunky clam chowder. So when someone asked me to make shrimp bisque at the next family dinner, I cringed. Really?
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Recipe highlights
- Economical: A bisque is a rich, creamy soup that is typically made with seafood. Seafood bisques can be very expensive at restaurants.But you can make this version without breaking the bank because it uses shrimp instead of lobster or crab.
- Simple: The steps are broken down into easy-to-follow directions for even the novice cook to succeed.
- Texture: Unlike a chowder, where the seafood is kept whole, in a bisque the seafood is puréed. The end result is smooth silky soup.
- Flavor: I found the flavor of this bisque to be spot on, not too shrimpy, not too creamy. Again, having a family of lemon lovers, many added freshly squeezed lemon juice to their soups.
Reader’s Reviews
“I made this exactly as written and it fabulous! The best bisque I’ve ever eaten!! I use this basic recie for lobster, crab, shrimp bisque. It has a wonderful flavor and my gusts were so impressed!!!!” — Frieda
Ingredients you need
- Shrimp: Larger count shrimp (21-25 count) is what Ina asked for in this recipe. But since you are puréeing the shrimp, you can get away with using smaller size shrimp.
- Seafood stock: You can also use vegetable stock instead.
- Leeks: You will be using the white and light green parts of the leeks. Save the greens for omelettes, quiche or soup. You can also stuff them in a roast chicken.
- Garlic: Use real garlic and not garlic powder.
- Cognac: You can substitute cognac with some brandy or whiskey.
- Cooking sherry: You can substitute with a dry white wine, dry vermouth or even drinking sherry.
- Butter: Always use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt your food contains.
- Half-and-half: If you want to forgo adding the flour, use full fat heavy whipping cream instead of half-and-half.
- Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, all-purpose flour, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Step-by-step directions
- Sauté the veggies. Sauté the leeks in hot olive and sauté for 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add shrimp. Stir in shrimp and cayenne pepper and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Add liqueur. Add in Cognac and sherry, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Process the shrimp. Transfer shrimp and leeks to a bowl and reserve. If you have a food processor, purée until smooth. If you have a hand blender, you can purée it later in the pot.
- Start the roux. Melt butter then stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Add cream. Slowly whisk in half-and-half. Keep whisking until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add purée mixture. Stir in reserved shrimp-leek mixture, seafood stock and water. If puréed, stir it in. Use a hand blender to purée everything.
- Finish the soup. Whisk in tomato paste until combined. Heat gently until hot but not boiling. Season to taste and serve hot.
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Recipe tips and FAQs
The base of the Barefoot Contessa Shrimp Bisque is a seafood stock. She recommends simmering the stock with the reserved shrimp shells and tails for 15 minutes. But if you are using already peeled shrimp, don’t worry about this step.
Garnish with a little bit of half-and-half or cream, chopped parsley, chives and/or red pepper flakes. If you want more shrimp flavor, cook up extra shrimp and garnish with that.
Love Ina’s recipes like I do? Here are some of my favorite Barefoot Contessa recipes:
- Ina Garten Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
- Ina Garten Oatmeal Cookies with Raisin and Pecans
- Ina Garten Baked Shrimp Scampi
- Ina Garten Grilled Shrimp Kabob
- Ina Garten Chicken Caesar Club Sandwich
- Ina Garten Coconut Jam Thumbprint Cookies
- Ina Garten Creme Brulee
Storing/Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Store any leftover bisque in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
TO FREEZE: I do not recommend freezing this soup as cream based soups do not freeze well. The cream separates and turns grainy when thawed.
Because shrimp bisque is a thick puréed soup, serve your soup with a hearty bread, crackers or even bread sticks. Garnish with a swirl of cream, chopped chives or parsley, some red pepper flakes or even some more shrimp.
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If you are enjoying my recipes, please sign up for my newsletter and get my free 28-day meal plan! You can also follow me on Instagram or Facebook.
Ina Garten Shrimp Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp 21-25 count
- 2 cup seafood stock
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cup chopped leeks white and light green parts only
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup Cognac
- ¼ cup sherry
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cup half-and-half
- ⅓ cup tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- If shrimp has shells, peel and devein shrimp.
- Heat a dutch oven oven on medium-low heat and add olive oil. Add leeks and sauté for 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in shrimp and cayenne pepper Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in Cognac and sherry, and cook for 3 minutes: Remove from heat.
- Transfer shrimp and leeks to a food processor and purée until smooth or reserve and add to soup later and purée with a hand blender in the pot.
- In the same dutch oven, melt butter over medium-low heat.
- Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in half-and-half. Keep whisking until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in salt and pepper, puréed shrimp, seafood stock and water. If shrimp and leeks aren't puréed, use a hand blender and purée in the pot until smooth.
- Whisk in tomato paste until combined. Heat gently until hot but not boiling.
- Season to taste and serve hot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
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PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.
You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my eMail list, too!
Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
Written by Laura Bashar
Hi, I’m Laura, a certified professional cook and cookbook author living in San Diego. I have been sharing my family’s favorite recipes inspired from all over the world since 2008. Let’s cook up something fun!
When do you use the 2 cups of water and seafood stock/. ? I have read again and again and cannot figure that out.
Hi Rosemary-
In the recipe card, you add both in step 10. The water got left out when I transferred recipes from a different plug-in (not your fault!) and I put it back in there. Sorry about that.
In the blog post, you can see it in step 7.
Laura
I MADE THIS EXACTLY AS WRITTEN AND IT IS FABULOUS!! THE BEST BISQUE I’VE EVER EATEN !! I USE THIS BASIC RECIPE FOR LOBSTER , CRAB, SHRIMP BISQUE , IT HAS A WONDERFUL FLAVOR AND MY GUESS WERE SO IMPRESSED!!!!
Hi Frieda-
Thank you for your kind words. I’m so glad you and your guests enjoyed the bisque. It really is a delicious recipe!
Laura
Do you have to use cognac? I have cooking sherry but no cognac in the house because we aren’t big alcohol drinkers. Do you have a substitution rec or ok to omit?
Hi Trisha-
You can use brandy, sherry, or white wine. You can also use apple juice, if you do not drink alcohol.
Laura
Ok thanks!
Great blog post and pictures! We really enjoyed this one.
great photo, enjoy the barefoot bloggers, I love Ina too!