It’s just starting to turn chilly as summer turns to autumn. I’ve been eating seasonal fresh salads for months, and now I am ready for a bit of indulgence. This is what I yearn for when the days are getting shorter, colder and darker: a big bowl of luxuriously rich shrimp bisque.

Bisque refers to a particular type of soup: a pureed seafood soup made with cream. Shrimp or lobster is the typical star of a bisque. The meaning of the term has broadened in recent years to include creamy pureed vegetable soups as well.

Have your fish monger peel and devein the shrimp, making sure to separate and keep the shells. You can use smaller sized shrimp to make this dish more affordable. While this dish requires a number of utensils and pans, it can be put together in under an hour. The shells are cooked, pureed and strained to give this soup extra shrimp flavor. Serve this with warm crusty French bread and a simple green salad. A crisp, chilled sauvignon blanc or California chardonnay will pair nicely with the rich shrimp flavor.

Shrimp Bisque

Serves 6 to 8

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 pounds raw shrimp, weighed first and then peeled and deveined, separating the shrimp from the shells

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