Shrimp Bisque

Germany has been covered by snow for about 2 weeks now. It's very very cold, but it does look pretty...! When I look around, everything is white, the trees, the cars, the streets... I hope the snow will stay until Christmas.

I made shrimp bisque a few days ago. I was (and actually still am) in the mood for eating something soupy and warm. It's a very tasty yet easy-to-prepare appetiser, which would delight anyone, especially during winter time.

I added some 'soup pearls' to my shrimp bisque. Basically 'soup pearls' are like round croûtons. I got to know these gems when I visited my MIL and she treated me with a bowl of delicious chicken broth topped with soup pearls. A real pleasingly crunchy addition to your soups :)!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4-5 tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 can (peeled and seeded) tomatoes
• 500 g shrimps, peeled and deveined
  
• 1 l chicken stock (or seafood stock)
  
• 150 ml white wine
• 125 ml double cream
• 2 tbs cognac
• 1 tbs butter
• salt/pepper
• 1 tbs dried tarragon
• 1 tbs Crème fraîche
• 2 tbs flour (mixed with 50 ml of water)
  
• Soup pearls

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add chopped onion and carrot. Sauté until soft.
• Add shrimps and tomatoes and cook under medium heat for around 3 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock, wine, cream and tarragon. Cook for another 3 minutes.
• Puree the soup mixture in a food processor.
• Return the pureed soup into the pot. Add salt, pepper, butter, cognac and crème fraîche. Stir for about 1 minute.
• To thicken the soup, add the flour+water mixture to the soup and stir for another 1 minute.
• Serve the soup hot. Garnish with soup pearls and cream.