It’s been a great summer so far but its not over yet. Four things I am looking forward to before my Fall semester starts: 1) Crossfit Games THIS WEEKEND!! 2) Ancestral Health Symposium NEXT WEEKEND!! 3) Shrimp Bisque leftovers… as long as they last 4) Getting my laptop back…….. Yes, that’s right. When I sat down to write this post yesterday, I turned on my laptop to find a blank screen. So as my laptop is getting its screen repaired, I thankfully have a loner computer to write this from. Better late than never, right?

Anyways, I have always been a huge fan of shrimp and lobster bisque, but never had the chance to make it. After the success of my Lemon Cream Sauce with Shrimp, I decided it was time to experiment with more creamy dishes with coconut milk in place of cream. If you love shrimp, you will love this phenomenal Shrimp Bisque! It is delicious as a starter or side dish, and also as a main course.

Ingredients

1.5 pounds medium shrimp, in the shell

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 Leeks

1 Onion

2 Celery Stalks

2 Carrots or 10 Baby Carrots

3 Fresh Thyme Sprigs

1 Bay Leaf

1 Orange

3 Tablespoons Organic Tomato Paste

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 cup Apple Juice

3 Tablespoons Arrowroot Starch

2 cans Coconut Milk

3 cups Water

Sea Salt

Fresh Chives

Peel, devein, and remove the shrimp tails, reserving the shells and tails. Place the shrimp in the refrigerator for later use.

Trim the leeks and rinse well. Cut into thirds.

Peel the onion and cut into quarters.

Cut the celery and carrots into 3 inch pieces.

Use a vegetable peeler to peel half of the orange into long strips.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and coconut oil over medium heat. When hot, add the shrimp shells, leeks, onion, celery, carrots, orange peel, thyme, bay leaf, tomato paste, and cayenne. Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring several times.

Add the apple juice, mix, and let cook 2 more minutes.

Sprinkle in the arrowroot starch and let cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add the water and coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Strain the soup into a clean pot, and discard vegetables. Add sea salt to taste if desired.

The soup can be made up to this point a day ahead of time if needed.

Immediately before serving, bring the soup to a simmer on the stove. Add the shrimp and let cook about 3 minutes, until shrimp are pink and just cooked through.

Serve sprinkled with chopped chives.

Serves 6.