Prawn & Fennel Bisque

Name: Prawn & Fennel Bisque
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 19 min
Total time: 29 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 450g Tiger Prawns; 4 tbs Olive Oil; 1 large Onion; 1 large Fennel; 2 chopped Carrots; 150ml Dry White Wine; 1 tbs Brandy; 400g Chopped Tomatoes; 1L Fish Stock; 2 pinches Paprika; 150ml Double Cream; 8 Prawns

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Side recipe with France flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 41 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 29 min total

450g Tiger Prawns
4 tbs Olive Oil
1 large Onion
1 large Fennel
2 chopped Carrots
150ml Dry White Wine
1 tbs Brandy
400g Chopped Tomatoes
1L Fish Stock
2 pinches Paprika
150ml Double Cream
8 Prawns

Step-by-step instructions

Shell the prawns, then fry the shells in the oil in a large pan for about 5 mins. Add the onion, fennel and carrots and cook for about 10 mins until the veg start to soften. Pour in the wine and brandy, bubble hard for about 1 min to drive off the alcohol, then add the tomatoes, stock and paprika. Cover and simmer for 30 mins. Meanwhile, chop the prawns.
Blitz the soup as finely as you can with a stick blender or food processor, then press through a sieve into a bowl. Spend a bit of time really working the mixture through the sieve as this will give the soup its velvety texture.
Tip back into a clean pan, add the prawns and cook for 10 mins, then blitz again until smooth. You can make and chill this a day ahead or freeze it for 1 month. Thaw ovenight in the fridge. To serve, gently reheat in a pan with the cream. If garnishing, cook the 8 prawns in a little butter. Spoon into small bowls and top with the prawns and snipped fennel fronds.

Why this works on a weeknight

Prawn & Fennel Bisque genuinely fits a 30-minute weeknight window, which is why it earned a spot in our Quick Soups & Stews collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Prawn & Fennel Bisque actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥣 Quick Soups & Stews Side France ⚡ 30-Min Dinner Soup Warm Seafood Shellfish