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With smoky bacon, sweet corn, and tender shrimp, you can have a restaurant-quality Shrimp and Corn Bisque on the table in just 35 minutes.
Shrimp and Corn Bisque usually leans heavy, but a simple restaurant trick makes this recipe lighter and ready in 35 minutes without sacrificing a bit of flavor or texture. On a recent trip to New Orleans, I ordered Shrimp and Corn Bisque at a favorite restaurant; it was simple, deeply flavored, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I came home determined to recreate something similar.
It turns out the secret is blending a bit of raw shrimp with corn and broth, then stirring it into the pot as the soup simmers. It’s a technique high-end restaurants use, and it works. That small step gives the bisque a velvety texture and a depth of flavor you wouldn’t expect from something made at home. With smoky bacon, tender shrimp, sweet corn, and the warmth of Cajun spices, it’s the kind of soup that feels indulgent without weighing you down.
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Total time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings
- Skill level: Easy/Intermediate
Shrimp and Corn Bisque Ingredients
- Bacon: Thick-cut bacon adds a smoky flavor and enough fat to sauté the vegetables. I look for a brand that isn’t too sweet.
- Butter: I like to add a tablespoon of butter with the bacon fat to help the vegetables soften without browning.
- Vegetables: A mix of onion, celery, and green bell pepper adds a savory base. This is the “holy trinity” of Cajun cooking and it grounds the sweetness of the corn.
- Green Onions: I like to separate the white and green parts. The whites cook with the other vegetables and the greens go on top at the end for a hit of fresh flavor.
- Cajun Seasoning: Use your favorite brand, but be cautious with blends that have salt as the first ingredient. You can always add more salt at the end.
- Heavy Cream: You only need a half cup to round out the flavors. It adds a bit of richness without masking the taste of the shrimp.
Why This Recipe Works
- Blending raw shrimp and corn: When you purée a portion of the shrimp and corn with the broth, the proteins help thicken the soup as they cook. It’s a great way to get a velvety texture without a heavy flour roux.
- Cooking the “holy trinity“ in bacon fat: Starting the vegetables in rendered bacon fat adds a smoky, savory base that balances the sweet corn.
- Adding whole shrimp last: Adding the whole shrimp for just a few minutes at the end keeps them tender and keeps them from getting rubbery.
How to Make Shrimp and Corn Bisque
Prepare the base: Add one-third of the shrimp and half of the corn and broth to a blender and process until completely smooth.
Cook the aromatics: Cook the diced bacon until crisp, then remove it with a slotted spoon and set it aside. In the remaining fat, sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until they’re soft and fragrant.
Simmer and finish: Stir in the remaining broth, corn, and the shrimp mixture and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the whole shrimp and cook until they’re just pink; stir in the cream and serve with the reserved bacon and green onions on top.
Pro Tips
- Blend until smooth: Make sure the shrimp and corn mixture is processed until it is completely smooth. Any chunks left in the purée will cook into rubbery bits instead of melting into the broth.
- Temper the cream: I don’t do this every time since the soup is gently simmering when you add the cream, but it’s an insurance policy against curdling. You can stir a spoonful of the hot soup into the cream before adding it to the pot. This warms the cream slightly so it doesn’t curdle when it hits the hot liquid.
- Taste for salt at the end: Cajun seasonings vary a lot by brand, so taste the soup after it has simmered before you add more salt.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat slowly over low heat to keep the shrimp tender. Avoid letting the soup reach a boil or the cream may separate and the shrimp will toughen. I don’t recommend freezing this soup.
More New Orleans Inspired Recipes
Shrimp and Corn Bisque
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined (tails removed), divided
- 2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen, divided
- 3 cups seafood broth or shrimp stock, divided (see recipe note)
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon diced small
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 rib celery finely chopped
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 green onions thinly sliced (white and green parts separated)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (plus more to taste)
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a standard blender (or small food processor), combine 1/3 of the shrimp, 1 cup of the corn, and 1½ cups of the seafood broth. Blend until very smooth and pourable, adding a splash more broth if needed to help it blend. Set aside.
- In a soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add butter, onion, celery, bell pepper, and the white parts of the green onions to the pot. Cook and stir over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add Cajun seasoning, thyme, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the remaining seafood broth and corn kernels, along with the shrimp-corn purée (scraping out blender pitcher with a rubber spatula if needed). Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the remaining shrimp. Simmer gently until the shrimp are just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Add heavy cream; cook and stir until warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Ladle into bowls and top with the reserved bacon and green onion tops. Serve hot.
Notes
- If you can’t find seafood broth, use chicken broth and add a splash of bottled clam juice or a spoonful of seafood base (like Better Than Bouillon Lobster Base) for a similar depth of flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
