Shrimp Bisque

By: Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin, authors of The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy

This is a traditional seafood bisque thickened with rice and enriched with heavy cream. Feel free to substitute other shellfish and/or broth, such as lobster, crab, or crayfish for the shrimp.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup long-grain rice

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1–1 1/2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne

8 cups homemade Shrimp Stock or store-bought low-sodium shrimp or fish stock, divided

1 medium carrot, peeled and diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 pounds shrimp, shelled (shells used for stock, if making from scratch), deveined, cooked in

boiling salted water for 3 to 4 minutes

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons snipped chives, for garnish

Directions:

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and, when melted, add the onion and cook, stirring, until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add rice, tomato paste, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for another minute or so. Add the carrot, celery, and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer about 30 minutes until the vegetables and rice are soft.

Using an immersion blender or in batches in a countertop blender, puree the soup. Bring the soup back up to a simmer. Meanwhile reserve 4 whole shrimp for garnish and chop the rest into bite-sized pieces.

When the soup is hot, add the diced cooked shrimp, cream, and lemon juice and cook until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Serve garnished with the reserved cooked shrimp and chives.

Serves 4

Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin are the authors of The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy —a hip, fun, and practical guide to cooking strikingly sophisticated, yet surprisingly simple dishes. With more than 125 delightfully easy recipes, the book proves that anyone—even those short on time, patience, skill, or experience—can cook impressive meals with minimal effort. You can visit the authors’ blog at www.TwoLazyGourmets.com, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter

Tags: Fall meals, seafood, shrimp bisque, two lazy gourmets