Filled to the brim with extra shrimp and lots of bacon, this simple shrimp chowder is a crowd-pleasing soup that you’ll want on rotation this winter.
I had lofty goals to make two or three different shrimp recipes tonight, so I went out and bought tons of different ingredients and three pounds of shrimp, figuring about 1 pound of shrimp per recipe. Well, I got lazy and ended up just making shrimp chowder with loads of shrimp. Seriously…this chowder overflows with shrimp.
For this recipe, I highly recommend taking an additional 20 minutes to make your own shrimp stock. You will notice an amazing difference in the richness of the broth.
I also roughly chopped most of the shrimp but left a few shrimp whole. This adds to the “shrimp in every bite” philosophy I have when I make shrimp chowder!
Looking for more shrimp recipes? Check my archives!
Simple Shrimp Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds large shrimp (peeled and deveined, shells reserved)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 12 ounces bacon (cut into lardons)
- 2 leeks (white and light green parts only, rinsed and sliced crosswise)
- 1¼ pounds russet potatoes (scrubbed, peeled, and diced into 2-inch cubes)
- 6 Roma tomatoes (about 1½ pounds; roughly chopped)
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can creamed corn
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon celery salt
- Cayenne pepper (to taste)
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Chives (freshly minced, for serving)
Instructions
Prepare shrimp:
- Roughly chop most of the shrimp, keeping about 15 to 20 shrimp whole. Refrigerate until needed.
Prepare the shrimp stock:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large stock pot. Once melted and frothy, add the shrimp shells. Cook for 5 minutes, mashing gently with your spoon every so often. Add 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the stock into a large bowl through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the spent shells.
Start the chowder:
- Wipe out the stockpot and return to the stovetop. Add the bacon and turn the heat to medium. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes until crispy, turning occasionally to prevent burning. Remove the bacon from the pot and transfer to a paper towel-lined bowl using a slotted spoon.
- Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot and return the pot to medium heat.
- Add the chopped leeks and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until softened. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, and creamed corn and stir to combine. Pour in the reserved stock and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and season with kosher salt, black pepper, celery salt, and a touch of cayenne pepper to taste. Simmer the soup for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Cook the shrimp:
- Increase heat to medium. Once the liquid begins to bubble, add the shrimp. Simmer for 5-7 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.
Finish the shrimp chowder
- Add heavy cream and stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes before removing from the heat. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
To serve:
- Divide soup between bowls, making sure each bowl gets one or two whole shrimp. Garnish with chives and a sprinkle of cayenne powder if desired. Enjoy!
Possibly the best soup ever. Still, I changed a few things the second time I made it: added a drained can of whole corn for some crunch, cut the potatoes into much smaller pieces, and added a cornstarch slurry near the end to thicken it a little more.
So glad you like this recipe! This is one of my favorites too and it’s so versatile. Your additions sound great – I’ve also made it and added red bell peppers which was a big hit too!