Prawn Bisque
A silky, deep pink soup built on toasted prawn shells, brandy and a little cream.
- Time1 hr 10
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £2.75 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- 416kcal
- 19.7gcarbs
- 5.2gof which sugars
- 26.7gfat
- 13.7gsaturates
- 21.9gprotein
- 2.3gfibre
- 1.1gsalt
A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Peel the prawns, keeping every shell and head. Slit down the back of each prawn and pull out the dark thread. Chill the peeled prawns.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Fry the shells for 5 minutes, crushing them with a wooden spoon, until pink and smelling sweet and toasty.
5 min - 3
Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic, tomato purée and paprika and cook for 1 minute.
- 4
Pour in the brandy and let it bubble for 1 minute. Add the rice, bay leaf, crumbled stock cube and water. Simmer gently for 25 minutes.
25 min - 5
Remove the bay leaf. Blitz with a stick blender for a full 2 minutes, until the shells are tiny. Push the soup through a fine sieve into a clean pan, pressing hard to get every drop.
- 6
Stir in the cream and warm over a low heat. Slice the prawns in half and add them. Cook for 2 minutes, until just pink.
2 min - 7
Season with lemon juice and black pepper. Serve in warm bowls with the chives scattered over.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
