Cream of Shrimp Soup My Velouté de Crevettes Recipe
David Scott Allen · Provencal Recipes · Soup · TasteI always think of cream soup as being one of the most elegant starters for a special meal. However, cream soups can be a little tricky to perfect. Getting today’s soup just right has taken me a few tries. Checking many sources and heeding their advice, rice was used as a thickener. But neither of us liked the texture much, and one guest even asked what made the soup grainy. Um, no thanks. I want my velouté to be as smooth as velvet — not thick and stodgy. So, I am happy to share my Velouté de Crevettes recipe with you. Continue reading here for the original Cocoa & Lavender article and photos.
Velouté de Crevettes (Cream of Shrimp Soup)
If you are craving soup this creamy shrimp soup will leave you satisfied!
Equipment
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 1 lb Shrimp in shells
- 1/2 juice lemon
- 3 shallot(s) minced
- 2 large carrots cut into small dice
- 6 tbsp butter divided
- 1 tsp thyme leaves fresh and chopped
- 1 tsp tarragon fresh and chopped
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/2 tsp piment d’Espelette or more to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup Cognac
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups chicken broth light
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup heavy cream (35%)
- parsley chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Shell shrimp and devein; reserve the shells. Sprinkle the shrimp with lemon juice; refrigerate.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the shallots and carrot; cook until vegetables are soft and shallots are clear. Add the thyme, tarragon, sweet paprika, piment d’Espelette, and shrimp shells. Cook for five minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, add tomato paste, mix well and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cognac and flambé. Lower the heat and add the white wine when the flames have subsided. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, and cook until the liquid has thickened a bit — about 3 minutes. Strain this shrimp base into a large stock pot and add the broth. Add the reserved shelled shrimp and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a brisk simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Pour the shrimp and broth into a blender, and blend until completely smooth. Strain back into the pot and discard solids. Reheat the soup for 2 to 3 minutes. Work together the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour (beurre manié), whisk it into the soup, and then add the cream. Continue cooking for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Additional Soup Recipes:
Provencal Soupe au Pistou
A traditional soup filled with tomatoes, potatoes, green beans, and more can be served for lunch with a fresh loaf of bread!
Check out this recipe
Soupe au Pistou
A delicious soup in the middle of summer with lots of broth is surprisingly refreshing. Important: Pistou should never be cooked. It should be added to the soup as a finishing touch for flavouring before serving once the pot is off the heat.
Check out this recipe
Chilled Tomato Gazpacho Soup
Tomatoes, peppers, onions, and more blended together. You will need a good blender, a sieve and some patience but otherwise, this is such an easy recipe. No cooking required!
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French Onion Soup
Bring a taste of Paris to your home dining experience. Bon appétit!
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Provencal Chickpea Soup (Fourmade)
Easy to master: Provencal chickpea soup is so surprisingly rich and luxurious tasting that even my 9-year-old son is convinced it has cream.
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