Shrimp Bisque (Low carb | Keto | Gluten Free)
This keto shrimp bisque is silky smooth with deep, rich flavor. Made with homemade shrimp stock and thickened with blended vegetables instead of flour, it’s naturally low carb and gluten-free. Finished with garlic butter shrimp and crispy bacon, it’s the perfect cozy winter meal.
Just 6 g net carbs per bowl and 17 g of protein!
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The secret to getting a thick, rich, and silky bisque without using flour is to cook down a bunch of low carb vegetables like cauliflower, peppers, or cabbage and then blending them smooth with some homemade seafood stock.
5 Tips to Master Low Carb Shrimp Bisque
- Cook the vegetables until past fork tender. You really can’t overcook them.. You want them to be mushy so that they blend completely smooth instead of grainy. Add bits of the stock to the pot as they cook to help break down the vegetables.
- Use homemade stock. Store bought stock can always be used, but you will miss out on a ton of flavour. You can make the stock from the shells of the shrimp as well as any bones or vegetable scraps you have one hand. I like to save a bag of bones and scraps in the freezer for a weekly soup.
- Blend until smooth. Sometimes when using cauliflower to thicken a low carb soup I like to leave it a bit chunky, but not for bisque, blend until it’s silky smooth with an immersion blender.
- Cook the shrimp gently. There are a few flavourful options for cooking the shrimp. You can throw them right in the pot, sit them under a broiler for a few minutes, or my personal favourite, lightly poach them in butter, olive oil and garlic and then use them to top the bisque.
- Add flavourful toppings. The tone of this bisque can change so much depending on the toppings. Crumbled bacon and green onion is nice and smokey, but a drizzle of sesame oil, sesame seeds and green onion is a wonderful treat.
Why This Recipe Works
- Instead of a flour based roux, sauteed low carb vegetables are pureed into the broth to thicken making this healthy flour free bisque gluten free and keto friendly.
- Homemade stock made from the shrimp shells adds a ton of rich, deep flavour
- An excellent keto friendly source of electrolytes like, potassium, magnesium, and sodium
- Very satisfying, this low carb soup is filling and can be batch cooked for meal prep.
- Makes great leftovers and is freezer friendly!
How to serve Low Carb Shrimp Bisque
I like to serve each bowl topped with chopped poached shrimp and flavourful toppings like crumbled bacon, green onion, chive, Extra virgin olive oil, sesame oil, toasted sesame seeds, and chili flakes.
Two winning combos:
- Butter poached shrimp, green onion, extra virgin oil, crumbled bacon
- Butter poached shrimp, sesame oil, toasted sesame seed, green onion, chili flakes (optional)
Cooking the Shrimp
You can of course simply toss the shrimp into the soup and let them cook, but I think we can elevate it a little more than that.
You don’t want the shrimp to simmer in the soup too long as it will over cook and become chewy. To keep it soft and tender there are few options.
Garlic butter poached (recommended)
The shrimp are basically gently cooked in a warm bath of butter, garlic, and olive oil.
- Add a generous amount of butter, olive oil and garlic to a pot over low heat.
- Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp is opaque and just cooked through.
- Top the soup with chopped shrimp and a drizzle of the butter from the pot.
Broiled Shrimp
Easy and very fast the shrimp spend a few minute right under the broiler in the oven.
- Drizzle the shrimp with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before laying them out on a baking sheet.
- Arrange the oven rack so its 5-6 inches below the broiler and turn the broiler on.
- Place the tray of shrimp in the oven for 3-5 minute until cooked through. Keep an eye on them they cook fast.
Cook right in the soup (Easiest)
- Once the soup is fully cooked but still simmering add the chopped shrimp to the pot and turn off the heat.
- Allow the heat of the soup to gently cook the shrimp through before serving.
Meal Prep, Leftovers, Storage, Freezer Tips
This low carb soup makes great leftovers and it’s freezer friendly!
In the fridge – Allow leftovers to cool to room temperature and place in an air tight container, store in the fridge for use within 4-5 days.
Reheat gently on the stove over low heat or in the microwave until warmed though.
In the freezer – There are two ways to freeze this soup. Either put the soup n a freezer safe container with a lid, freezer and store for up to 3 months.
or
Add the cooled soup to a large freezer bag and lay flat in the freezer. If you don’t have a flat spot place on a baking sheet and pop the whole thing in the freezer. Once frozen, remove the baking tray and you can easily stack multiple bags of frozen soup or slip it into the last freeze space in your freezer.
Reheat from frozen – Thaw gently in a large pot over medium low heat or in the microwave until warmed through. You can also place the frozen soup in the fridge overnight and reheat once thawed.
Make ahead freezer tips – Only do this is you’re popping to soup straight in the freezer after it cools. If you know this soup will be used as a make ahead freezer meal, add the raw shrimp to the soup at the end and place in the freezer. Shrimp cook so quickly that they will cook in the soup on the stove when you’re reheating later.
This will keep the shrimp from becoming chewy once reheated. Make sure they are cooked through before eating.
FAQs
Can I make a double batch?
Yes! As long as you have a big enough pot this soup is great for batch cooking.
Can this low carb soup be frozen?
Another great reason for making a double batch is so you can freeze some for later. It keeps very well and makes a great low carb freezer meal.
Can other seafood be used?
You can use any seafood you like, clams, mussels, crab, even fish, just make sure it’s cooked appropriately.
Can I use store bought stock instead of homemade stock?
Homemade stock will have the most flavour, and it’s rather satisfying to turn waste like the shells into a delicious stock, however in a pinch, a couple boxes of store bought vegetable or chicken stock will work just fine.
Is this shrimp bisque healthy?
My bisque recipe uses no flour and instead thickens with healthy pureed vegetables meaning it’s packed with vitamins and nutrients while being gluten free. It’s also low in carbs making it a keto alternative to regular bisque.
How do I know when the shrimp is cooked?
Shrimp will cook very fast and overcook even quicker. For this recipe it’s best to cook them gently by either poaching, broiling, or slowing in the soup. You know they’re cooked when they turn pink and they’re just opaque all the way though.
When are the vegetables ready to be pureed into the broth?
Bisque is meant to be smooth and silky, not chunky or gritty. You want the vegetables to be very soft and almost mushy before you blend them. You should be able to pierce them with a fork with no resistance.
How can I thicken this bisque without flour?
The pureed cauliflower thickens this bisque wonderfully without the need for a roux or any flour.
Recipe Card
Shrimp Bisque (Keto | Gluten Free)
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Equipment
- large pot or dutch oven
- Mesh strainer or collander
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp with shells
- 3-4 slices bacon optional
- 4 tbsp butter optional if not using bacon
- 1 medium cauliflower chopped
- 1 small onion diced
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 small carrot chopped
- 1 red pepper chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tablespoon Cajun/Creole/Old Bay Seasoning
- salt
- black pepper
- 6-8 cups Shrimp stock (Homemade) or boxed vegetable stock
- ½ cup heavy cream, whole milk, or sour cream
- ¼ cup cream cheese
- ¼ cup dry wine white or red
- 1 dash Worcestershire sauce
For Poaching (optional)
- 5-6 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 stalk green onion sliced
Instructions
- Make the shrimp stock - Clean, devein, and peel the shrimp. Add the shells and tails to a medium pot, salt liberally and add 7-8 cups of water. Bring to a boil then lower to a rapid simmer. Let this cook for 30-60 minutes while you prepare the rest of the bisque. Once finished use a colander to strain out the shells and tail.1 pound shrimp with shells
- Render bacon until crispy - If starting with bacon, add the slices to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and render until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside leaving behind any rendered fat and drippings.3-4 slices bacon
- Sauté vegetable until fork tender - Add butter (if not using bacon), cauliflower, onion, celery, carrot to the pot and cook for 5-8 minutes. Next add the red pepper, and garlic to the pot, Cajun/Creole/Old Bay and season with salt and pepper. Sauté over medium to medium-high heat stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to breakdown and become fork tender, almost mushy. Add bits of stock or water to the pot as needed to help breakdown the veggies.4 tbsp butter, 1 medium cauliflower, 1 small onion, 2 stalks celery, 1 small carrot, 1 red pepper, 2-3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon Cajun/Creole/Old Bay Seasoning, salt, black pepper
- Blend everything into a smooth broth - Add about half of the strained stock to the pot and use an immersion blender to puree everything until very smooth. It should not be chunky or gritty. Add the heavy cream/milk/sour cream, cream cheese, wine, and Worcestershire. Stir to combine and simmer until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.6-8 cups Shrimp stock (Homemade), 1/2 cup heavy cream, whole milk, or sour cream, 1/4 cup cream cheese, 1 dash Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup dry wine
- Cook the shrimp and serve - At this point you can either add the chopped raw shrimp straight to the pot and turn off the heat to allow them to cook gently in the broth. Or cook the the shrimp in a garlic butter poach (recommended, instructions below) or using the broiler (Instructions below) and add to each bowl along with your favourite toppings such as olive oil, red chilies, green onions, sesame oil, sesame seeds or crispy onions.
Garlic Butter Poached Shrimp
- Add 4 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of olive oil to a pot over low heat. Once melted add sliced garlic, green onions, and raw cleaned shrimp.
- Allow the shrimp to gently cook in the arm butter until opaque and just cooked through.
- Add chopped poached shrimp along with a drizzle of the butter and olive oil to each bowl as a topping.
- Broiled Shrimp
- Position the top rack of your oven around 6 inches below the broiler then turn the broiler on.1 pound shrimp with shells
- Lay the raw cleaned shrimp in an even layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
- Place on the top rack right under the broiler and allow them to cook for 3-5 minutes until cooked through. Monitor them closely they will cook FAST!
Notes
- Green onions
- Chopped dill
- Lemon juice/zest
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Sesame oil or olive oil
- Crumbled bacon
- Chili flakes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated using the recipe calculator and verified database available from Cronometer. Although every reasonable effort is made to provide accurate information this estimate is provided as courteously and convenience only. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
Try the free recipe calculator at Cronometer
Enjoy!
