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Most of us have at least heard of clam chowder, but what about shrimp chowder… with corn? Chowders are thick soups prepared with milk or cream, a roux, and seafood or vegetables. They are characterized by being thick (not quite Vichyssoise thick) and creamy and containing large chunks of meat or seafood and vegetables, usually potatoes. This recipe contains most of the elements of a traditional chowder except it isn’t so thick. It is on the lighter side as it does not call for a roux, but does still use heavy cream.

Ingredients

Most, if not, all of the ingredients you probably already have in your fridge or pantry. I prefer using fresh shrimp, but you could use frozen peeled shrimp. There won’t be any need to shuck and cut kernels from fresh corn cobs (unless you really want to). Frozen corn will work just fine. The ingredients you use really come down to how much time you want to spend prepping and preference.

• Shrimp- I almost always have large shrimp on hand so that is what I used for this recipe. I peel, devein, and cut them into bite sized pieces. Small shrimp can be used, if you prefer.
• Corn- frozen corn because I like the taste and texture compared to canned corn
• Potatoes- I like using petite Yukon gold potatoes. You won’t have to peel them and they are such a creamy potato.
• Heavy Cream- adds extra creaminess to the chowder
• Bacon- This an optional garnish but it adds nice texture and saltiness to the chowder. Plus the bacon grease contributes additional flavor.
• Herbs and Seasonings- smoked paprika, dried oregano, crushed red pepper, fresh thyme and bay leaves

Making the Shrimp Chowder

If you are using bacon as a garnish, start by cooking in a large pot until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel. The bacon fat left in the pan will add additional flavor to the soup. Next, cook the shrimp in the bacon fat until they turn pink and are opaque and also remove from the pot. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp as you will add them back into the soup later.

Add butter to the same pot followed by diced onions. Cook for about 5-7 minutes or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add garlic to the pot and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Toss in smoked paprika, fried oregano, crushed red pepper, fresh thyme, and bay leaves. Give it a good stir to prevent the seasonings and herbs from burning. Quickly follow with vegetable stock and diced petite Yukon gold potatoes. Cover the heat and reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer until potatoes are tender (approximately 10 minutes).

Now it’s time to thicken the soup. Remove about 1/4 to 1/3 of the soup and blend until smooth. You can use a countertop blender or an immersion blender for this. Return the blended soup to the pot along with heavy cream. Stir to combine the ingredients. Lastly, add frozen corn and the cooked shrimp to the pot. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the corn is heated through. Ladle warm chowder into bowls and garnish with crispy bacon bits and sliced green onions.

If you make this recipe, leave a comment below and post on Instagram. Make sure to tag @blasianbonvivant and use hashtag #BBVRecipe.

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Shrimp and Corn Chowder

Light and creamy chowder with shrimp, corn and potatoes

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keywords: chowder, seafood, soup

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 10-12 oz medium to large shrimp peeled and deveined, cut into bite sized pieces
• 4 bacon slices cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 yellow onion diced
• 6 garlic cloves minced
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 5 fresh thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 cups corn frozen
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 6-8 petite Yukon gold potatoes cut into small cubes
• salt
• pepper
• green onions sliced, for garnish

Instructions

• Add bacon to a dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Cook until brown and crispy. Remove from put with a slotted spoon and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
• Add shrimp to the same pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until pink and opaque. Remove from pot and into a bowl. Set aside.
• Melt butter in the pot. Sauté onions in butter until onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes more.
• Add smoked paprika, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, thyme and bay leaves to the pot. Stir to keep from burning.
• Add stock and potatoes to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (approximately 10 minutes).
• Remove approximately 1/4 -1/3 of the soup and blend until smooth. This will help thicken the soup just a bit. Return blended soup to the pot.
• Add heavy cream and stir.
• Add frozen corn and cooked shrimp to the pot. Cover and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
• Serve warm and garnish with bacon bits and green onions.

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