Name: Ina Garten’s Shrimp Bisque
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled & deveined, shells reserved ((leave tail on 6 shrimp, for garnish)); 4 cups seafood stock; 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ((plus extra for shrimp garnish)); 2 cups chopped leeks, white & light green parts ((about 3 leeks)); 1 tablespoon chopped garlic ((3 cloves)); pinch of cayenne pepper ((totally optional)); 1/4 cup brandy ((or cognac)); 1/4 cup dry sherry ((or madeira wine)); 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour ((or gluten-free flour)); 2 cups half-and-half; 1/2 cup tomato paste; 1 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

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Every once in a while, we all feel the need to indulge in something rich and delicious. If you want to impress your family and friends, try this one on for size. Ina Garten’s Shrimp Bisque. Not too heavy. Not too creamy. Most definitely rich and delicious.

The base of this bisque starts off with seafood stock, which then gets a flavor boost by simmering it for a short time with the shrimp shells.

If you don’t have homemade stock on hand, don’t worry. You can use the packaged organic stock …like I did here. Your bisque will still be amazing.

If you’re feeling so inclined, here’s Ina’s recipe for her Seafood Stock.

A handy list of ingredients…

Large shrimp – Peeled & deveined, shells reserved to be simmered in seafood stock. Leave the tail on six of the shrimp, the ones that’ll be used for garnish. Wild-caught shrimp are recommended for their superior taste and texture, resulting from their natural diet.
Seafood stock – Readily available in most stores. Seafood stock is a golden, flavorful base that is made when water is simmered with seafood shells, bones, herbs, and vegetables. If you’d rather use a homemade stock, here’s a link to Ina’s recipe.
Extra-virgin olive oil – My first choice is always single source EVOO from Italy. Less processing = healthier more delicious olive oil.
Leeks – Chopped, white & light green parts only. Always soak your chopped leeks to be sure all of the natural grit is removed.
Garlic – Chopped. Always use fresh.
Cayenne pepper – Totally optional to add just a pinch. Cayenne powder is a spice made from the dried and ground pods of cayenne peppers, known for their bright red color and intense heat. Used to add a very spicy kick to a variety of dishes.
Brandy – Brandy adds a distinctive depth and richness to both sweet and savory dishes. The fruity and oaky notes of brandy enhance the overall flavor profile of this bisque. Cognac could be used as an alternate ingredient. For a non-alcoholic option, consider using fruit juice, such as apple juice, or a combination of fruit juice and a touch of white wine vinegar.
Dry sherry – Used to impart a sweet nutty taste to the final dish. Madeira wine would be a good alternative. For a non-alcoholic substitute, use apple cider vinegar.
Unsalted butter – It is important to use unsalted butter so that the natural butter flavor shines through without the influence of added salt. And you can better control the level of sodium in the final dish.
Flour – Unbleached all-purpose flour is used here. I always use flour that is organic, non-GMO and free of glyphosate. My personal favorite is from a domestic company, Sunrise Flour Mill, located in Minnesota. If desired, gluten-free flour can be used as an alternative.
Half-and-half – Half and half adds a silky texture and the perfect richness to this dish. For more richness, use heavy cream. For less richness, use whole milk.
Tomato paste – Tomato paste adds a burst of umami, with its concentrated sweetness and mild acidity.
Kosher salt – If need be, table salt can be used with caution. Table salt is finer and more dense than kosher salt, so a teaspoon of table salt will contain more actual salt than a teaspoon of kosher salt. When substituting, use about two-thirds the amount of table salt specified in a recipe using kosher salt.
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley – Chopped. The tender fresh herb is always preferred over the dried variety. Especially here when used as a garnish to add brightness to the final dish.

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a large saucepan.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Strain and reserve the stock.
Add enough water to make a total of 3 3/4 cups.

With full credit to Ina…

The basic recipe for this soup most definitely comes from Ina Garten and is featured in her book, Ina Garten At Home. But I’ve made a few tweaks here and there to put my personal spin on it. When you are cleaning the shrimp, keep the tail on about six of them. I like to put them aside, then throw them in a grill pan with a bit of olive oil. They make a beautiful (and tasty) garnish.

Heat a small saucepan or grill pan over medium heat.
Add a drizzle of olive oil.
Sauté the six garnish shrimp until cooked through with a golden edge.
Set aside until ready to serve the bisque.

While the stock is simmering with the normally-discarded shrimp shells, it’s time to start working the leeks. It’s always advisable to soak them in cold water before chopping them. They really do tend to hold onto a bunch of gritty sand between those layers.

It’s best to have all ingredients prepped and ready to go at this point. When you see how fast the soup comes together, you’ll be happy to have everything at hand.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
Add the chopped leeks.
Cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, until the leeks are tender but not browned.
Add the chopped garlic and cook one more minute.
Add the optional cayenne pepper along with the shrimp.
Cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the brandy and cook for one minute.
Then add the dry sherry and cook for 3 minutes longer.

Food processor or immersion blender? You choose…

Once the shrimp and leeks are cooked through, it all gets roughly blended.
Ina recommends that you use a food processor.
I actually prefer to use my immersion blender.
Either method will work.
Just be careful not to overprocess.
The end product should be roughly processed so that your bisque has some added texture.

Using the same pot or dutch oven, melt the butter.
Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.
Add the half-and-half and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes.

This is where you can make Ina Garten’s Shrimp Bisque your own.

If you are gluten-free, use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour instead of traditional all-purpose flour.
If you want to cut down on the richness, use milk instead of the half-and-half.
Or if you choose to amp up the richness, feel free to use heavy cream.
You decide.

Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt & pepper.
Heat gently until hot but not boiling.
Season to taste.
Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley & a sprinkling of fresh ground pepper.
Place one grilled shrimp on top of each bowl before presenting each serving.

Presenting your creation of Ina Garten’s Shrimp Bisque…

Once it all comes together, you’ll be amazed at the big old pot of goodness that you’ve created. This truly rivals any seafood bisque you would often order at your favorite restaurant.

Have plenty of crusty bread handy and top off each bowl with some chopped fresh herbs, a fresh grind of black pepper and one perfectly grilled shrimp.

4.75 from 4 votes

Ina Garten’s Shrimp Bisque

Adapted from Ina Garten

Once you taste this creamy & delicious soup, you'll make it again and again.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 4 to 6 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds large shrimp, peeled & deveined, shells reserved (leave tail on 6 shrimp, for garnish)
4 cups seafood stock
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for shrimp garnish)
2 cups chopped leeks, white & light green parts (about 3 leeks)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic (3 cloves)
pinch of cayenne pepper (totally optional)
1/4 cup brandy (or cognac)
1/4 cup dry sherry (or madeira wine)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Place the shrimp shells and seafood stock in a large saucepan. Simmer for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the stock, adding enough water to make a total of 3 3/4 cups.
Heat a small saucepan or grill pan over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and sauté the 6 garnish shrimp until cooked through with a golden edge. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped leeks and cook them for 10 minutes over medium-low heat, or until the leeks are tender but not browned. Add the chopped garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the cayenne pepper & shrimp. Cook over medium to low heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the brandy and cook for 1 minute, then the dry sherry and cook for 3 minutes longer.
Transfer the shrimp and leeks to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until coarsely pureed. Alternatively, transfer the shrimp and leeks to a deep bowl and roughly blend with an immersion blender. Set aside.
Using the same pot or dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Add the half-and-half and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the pureed shrimp, the stock, tomato paste, salt & pepper and heat gently until hot but not boiling. Season to taste. Serve immediately garnished with fresh parsley, a sprinkling of fresh ground pepper and 1 grilled shrimp.

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