This Butternut Squash Shrimp Bisque, gives you the warm comfort of a butternut squash soup with the shrimp adding depth of flavor. This is a great healthy soup to have on rotation when you want the flavors of fall with added protein.

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Why You Will Love This Recipe
We use a shrimp stock that can be made in 5 minutes instead of chicken broth or vegetable stock, which adds to the shrimp flavor of the bisque. It's an interesting twist to the comforting traditional butternut squash soup and it would be fun to make this to surprise your guests!
Ingredients

- Butternut squash: For this recipe you can get a medium sized one about 2.5-3 lbs. We roast the squash at high heat 400 F in the oven so that it caramelizes and get the most out of this ingredient.
- Shrimp: I like using large shrimp for this recipe. Make sure to buy the ones with the shells and even the heads if possible. The heads have so much flavor which will add to the stock.
- Baking soda: Using baking soda is a trick to tenderize the shrimp.
- Tomato: This is used for the stock to add umami.
- Lemon zest and garlic: Zest the lemon and garlic clove with a microplane.
- Heavy cream: This will add creaminess to your soup. You can use sour cream if you prefer. Or you want a dairy free option, use coconut milk.
- Chives and microgreens: Using chives here to top off the soup along with microgreens, which is optional.
- Carrots / Celery / Onion: This is the trifecta for a lot of soups, the French call it a mirepoix and the Italians call it a sofritto.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients
How to Make This Recipe
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400F

STEP 2: Place the butternut squash cubes on a baking sheet and coat in olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

STEP 3: While the butternut is cooking, prepare the shrimp by removing the shells and tails. Devein the shrimp and then cut into ½ inch pieces. Add shrimp pieces in a bowl and marinade with lemon zest salt, baking soda, and grated garlic.

STEP 4: Make the shrimp stock by adding tablespoon of olive oil in a pot on medium-high heat, add place shrimp heads and shrimp shells in the pot and cook until they turn pink, around 2-4 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of salt, peppercorns and 4 cups of water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the stock into a large bowl.

STEP 5: In that same pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add your onion, celery and carrot, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 7-10 minutes.

Add the roasted butternut squash and the 4 cups of shrimp stock to the pot. Bring to boil then simmer until all vegetables are soft. About 15-20 minutes.

STEP 6: Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Season to taste.
Add the shrimp mixture, heavy cream and lemon juice. Simmer on medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
PLATING: Serve in bowls with a small pour of cream for presentation, chives and microgreens.
Storage and Heating Tips
- This soup will hold well for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. Because the shrimp will be marinate din baking soda which will keep it tender, the shrimp can be reheated as leftovers without being too dry.
What To Serve With This Bisque
- Garlic bread
- A nice herby salad or this roasted cabbage with anchovy butter.
- Can be eaten on its own!
Variations of This Dish
- Cream: instead of heavy cream you may use coconut milk or sour cream if you prefer
- Toppings: microgreens are not essential to the dish but it's a nice touch. If you don't want to buy it you can use fresh basil, shaved fennel
- Omitting the shrimp: this recipe works too if you just want the butternut without the shrimp. Just use chicken stock instead of the homemade shrimp stock and don't use the shrimp.
FAQ
If it's made with seafood stock then it's called a bisque!
It's recommended to add the caramelized flavor of the squash, however if don't feel like turning on the oven, you can just add it to the broth and simmer until it's soft enough to blend.

Did you try this recipe?
Would love to hear what you think by leaving a comment below and sharing it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
Thanks so much!
Isabelle
Recipe

Butternut Squash Shrimp Bisque
Equipment
- 1 Large dutch oven or large soup pot
- 1 Immersion blender or you can use a blender
- 1 Strainer or a slotted spoon to remove shells from the shrimp broth
Ingredients
- 1 Butternut squash (2.5-3 lbs)
- ¼ cup Olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 pound Shrimp with shells and heads
- 1 teaspoon Black peppercorn
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Tomato (chopped)
- 1 Onion
- 2 Carrots
- 2 Celery stalks
- 2 sprigs of thyme leaves
- 1 Garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ¾ cup Heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Chives (chopped)
- Microgreens for garnish
- 1 Lemon (Zest and juice)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C).
- Place the butternut squash cubes on a baking sheet and coat in olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- While the butternut is cooking, prepare the shrimp by removing the shells and tails. Devein the shrimp and then cut into ½ inch pieces.Add shrimp pieces in a bowl and marinade with lemon zest salt, baking soda, and grated garlic.
- Make the shrimp stock by adding tablespoon of olive oil in a pot on medium-high heat, add the shells and cook until they turn pink, around 2-4 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of salt, peppercorns and 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the stock into a large bowl.
- In that same pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add your onion, celery and carrot, season with salt and pepper and saute for 7-10 minutes. Add the roasted butternut squash and the stock to the pot. Bring to a boil then simmer until all vegetables are soft. About 15-20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Season to taste.
- Add the shrimp mixture, heavy cream and lemon juice. Simmer on medium heat for 6-8 minutes.
- To plate: serve in bowls with a small pour of cream for presentation, chives and microgreens.
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