Louisiana Shrimp and Corn Bisque Recipe

A bowl of Louisiana shrimp and corn bisque topped with bacon, green onions and parsley.

Louisiana Shrimp and Corn Bisque Recipe

New Orleans style shrimp and corn bisque is rich, comforting, and creamy. It’s an indulgent and impressive dish that makes a great starter or a main course. Perfect for a dinner party!

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American, Cajun

Keyword bisque, shrimp, soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 492kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

Wooden spoon
Large Dutch oven
Whisk

Ingredients

½ pound bacon
1 medium yellow onion
½ bell pepper any color
2 stalks celery
4 cloves garlic
¼ cup sherry cooking wine
8 tablespoons butter 1 stick, or ½ cup
½ cup all purpose flour
4 cups shrimp stock or chicken, vegetable, or seafood stock
1 ½ cups water
2-4 green onions
1 bunch fresh parsley
1 ½ pounds medium raw shrimp 41/50 or similar size
1 tablespoon cajun seasoning or to taste
4 ears of corn 2-3 cups of kernels
2 cups heavy cream warmed
Salt black pepper, or cajun seasoning to taste

Instructions

PREP: Finely chop onion (1 cup), bell pepper (½ cup), celery (½ cup), green onions (½ cup), and parsley (¼ cup). Mince garlic. Remove corn kernels from the cob. Chop bacon into small pieces. Peel and devein shrimp. Pat shrimp dry and season evenly with cajun seasoning. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use. Measure out other ingredients.
CRISP: Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat and add chopped bacon. Cook for about 8 minutes until bacon is starting to crisp, stirring occasionally. Drain all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease.
SAUTÉ: Turn heat to medium-low and add in onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for about 5 minutes with the bacon until vegetables are softening. Add in garlic and cook for about 1 minute while stirring.
DEGLAZE: Add in sherry to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pot. Simmer for 1-2 minutes to allow alcohol to burn off.
ROUX: Add butter to the pot to melt. Once melted, sprinkle flour over the bacon and vegetable mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes, while stirring and scraping up the bottom, until flour has slightly darkened. It will look thick and clumpy.
SIMMER: Slowly whisk in shrimp stock, a little at a time, until incorporated and there are no lumps of flour. Add an additional 1 ½ cups of water and mix in. Add half of the parsley and half of the green onions. Bring up to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook uncovered for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat or foam that rises to the top. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick.
COOK: Add in seasoned raw shrimp, corn, and heavy cream. Add in remaining parsley and green onions, or reserve for garnishing each serving. Bring back up to a simmer, then cook for 5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through and pink.
FINISH: Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or cajun seasoning as needed.
SERVE: Serve hot, option to garnish with more parsley and/or green onions.

Notes

I highly recommend making homemade shrimp stock for this soup. It takes it to the next level!
If buying head on shrimp, get 2 pounds.
Bite sized small to medium shrimp work best, like the 41/50 size. If you have large shrimp, you can cut them into bite size pieces before adding them to the bisque to cook.
Leftovers: With any seafood recipe, make sure it is cool before storing in the refrigerator. Break it down into smaller containers so it can cool faster. Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
How to freeze: Store in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or place the container under cold running water.
How to reheat: The best way to reheat this soup is in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the soup is warmed throughout. Don’t boil it. Microwaving may cause the shrimp to become rubbery.
Make ahead: Make the soup through the simmer step (#6), then cool completely before storing in the refrigerator. The day of serving, reheat the soup on the stove or crockpot, then proceed with step 7 (adding corn, raw shrimp, heavy cream, parsley, and green onions). Let the soup simmer until the shrimp are cooked through, and serve. This will prevent the shrimp from getting rubbery when reheated.

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