Classic Prawn Bisque
Classic Prawn Bisque. Yes! What a winner! I knew this soup was going to be something special the moment all those delicious aromas started wafting up from the pan. It’s rich, creamy, and deeply flavoured – the kind of restaurant-worthy showstopper that makes the perfect starter for a dinner party. Serve it with crispy croutons and a slice of lemon on the side, and you’ve got a real crowd-pleaser on your hands.
What Is Classic Prawn Bisque?
Classic Prawn Bisque is a silky, velvety seafood soup made with prawns (or other shellfish like lobster or crab), finished with cream and a splash of cognac. Traditionally, it was a clever way to use up the whole prawn – including the shells – which are simmered down into a rich, flavour-packed stock. Over time, it’s become a chic French classic, known for its luxurious texture and intense seafood depth.
This version is inspired by a recipe from Delicious Magazine, and it’s everything you want in a bisque – comforting, elegant, and surprisingly doable at home. It’s also a great make-ahead option, so you can prep it before guests arrive and just reheat gently before serving.
More Seafood Classics to Try
If you’re into seafood, don’t miss my recipe for Classic Bouillabaisse with Rouille and Garlic Croutons – another French stunner. Or go for something a little different with this Portuguese Seafood Stew with Saffron, or a cosy bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder. Yum!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
✔️ Elegant and impressive – A dinner party starter that feels truly special.
✔️ Packed with flavour – Uses prawn shells to extract every last bit of deliciousness.
✔️ Creamy, velvety texture – Pure indulgence in a bowl.
✔️ Make-ahead friendly – Perfect for entertaining.
✔️ French-inspired classic – A timeless favourite for seafood lovers.
Classic prawn bisque is a creamy French soup made with prawn shells, aromatics like onion, garlic and celery, white wine or cognac, tomato paste, and cream. The prawn shells are simmered to extract deep, rich flavour, then blended and strained for that signature velvety texture.
Can I make prawn bisque with frozen prawns?
Yes – frozen raw prawns with shells on are ideal. You’ll need the shells to make the stock, which is the base of the bisque. Just defrost them before using and save all those shells for maximum flavour.
What can I use instead of cognac in prawn bisque?
If you don’t have cognac, you can substitute it with brandy, white wine, or even dry sherry. These all help to deglaze the pan and add depth to the soup, but you can leave it out if preferred – just add a squeeze of lemon for brightness.
How do you thicken prawn bisque?
Prawn bisque is traditionally thickened by blending the soup and then finishing it with cream and sometimes a touch of flour or butter. For an even silkier finish, strain the soup after blending to remove any remaining shell pieces. In this recipe I cooked along some rice which works great as a thickener too.
Is prawn bisque gluten-free?
This recipe is as I use. rice as the thickening agent. Other options could be to leave out any flour or replace it with a gluten-free thickener like cornstarch or arrowroot. Check your stock too – some store-bought ones contain hidden gluten.
Can I prepare prawn bisque ahead of time?
Absolutely. In fact, seafood bisque often tastes better the next day as the flavours develop. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheat gently on the stove before serving.
Classic Prawn Bisque
(28 votes, average: 3.71 out of 5)
Loading...Ingredients
- 100g unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg fresh prawns, peeled, heads and shells set aside
- 150 g prawn meat roughly chopped
- 1.5 litres fish stock (fresh or with stock cubes)
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 bay leaf (fresh or dried)
- 3 flatleaf parsley sprigs, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 tbsp cognac (or sherry if you have that lying around)
- 100 g white rice
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 small ripe tomatoes, diced
- Squeeze lemon juice
- 50ml double cream (I used 2 tablespoons in the end)
- To serve
- Lemon slices
- 1 par-baked baguette (see notes)
Instructions
Melt half of the butter with 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan. When foaming, add the prawn heads and shells and sauté over a medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, keep stirring. When the shells are fragrant and have turned a pinky-orange add the fish stock and bring to the simmer. Let bubble away gently for 30 minutes on low heat.
While this is simmering heat 30 g of the butter and 2 tbsp olive oil and add the shallots, carrots celery and garlic. Sauté gently on low heat for 8 - 10 minutes so it softens but doesn't get any colour.
Turn up the heat, add the bayleaves, parsley, tomato purée and cayenne pepper and cook for ±3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with some cognac (I used sherry, just as tasty) and cook for a few minutes until the alcohol is evaporated.
Add the chopped tomatoes and 100g of rice (this will work as the thickener) and add this all to the prawn broth (including the heads and shells). Let simmer on low heat for another 20 - 25 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Let cool slightly.
Remove the bayleaves and ladle the soup (in batches) in a blender and whizz until smooth, ± 2 minutes per batch. Strain the soup through a sieve, gently pushing it through with the back of a ladle and discard the leftover pulp (see notes).
Pour it back into the pan and heat up the soup, add a squeeze of lemon, an additional drop of cognac (or sherry) and 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream. Taste and season with pepper and salt if needed.
Just before serving melt the rest of the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil until foaming. Add the chopped prawns and some finely chopped parsley and sauté for 1-2 minutes until the prawns are cooked through.
Serve with crispy croutons and a slice of lemon on the side.
Crispy croutons
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Slice the baguette diagonally into thin long slices (± 5 mm thick).
Brush with olive oil and season with pepper and salt.
Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 5 - 8 minutes until just starting to go brown (they will crisp up when cooled down a bit).
Notes
- I like using par baked baguettes you buy at the supermarket for this. They're still a bit firm so they're easier to slice thinly without crumbling.
- The recipe says to strain it again through a muslin cloth, to get an extra smooth and silky texture. I only strained it once and was already very happy with the result.
