Shrimp Corn Chowder

A rich and comforting shrimp corn chowder starts with a flavorful homemade shrimp stock paired with juicy shrimp, sweet corn, and just the right amount of heat.

Juicy shrimp, sweet corn, and a savory homemade shrimp stock make this shrimp corn chowder a recipe you’ll crave all year long.

I love shrimp chowder and I love corn chowder, so shrimp and corn chowder is a no-brainer choice for me. This version starts with a savory shrimp stock, made from shrimp tails and the bare corn cobs to get the very most out of your chowder ingredients.

If you don’t have fresh corn for this recipe, fear not! You can skip adding the corn cobs to the stock and just use a 10-ounce bag of frozen corn in the chowder instead.

How to make this shrimp corn chowder

What you need

• Shrimp: Use large or extra-large shrimp or even jumbo shrimp. Be sure to save the shells as you’ll use them for your stock!
• Corn: Use fresh corn on the cob, so you can use the bare cobs for the stock. If you don’t have corn on the cob, use frozen corn in the chowder instead.
• Stock aromatics: I add onion, celery, and bay leaves to the stock.
• Chowder: I make the chowder with just a few ingredients, including onion, garlic, jalapeño, and russet potatoes. I finish the chowder with freshly minced chives.

How to make it

• Step 1: Prepare the shrimp and corn. Peel the shrimp and reserve the shells. Cut the corn from the cobs and reserve the cobs.
• Step 2: Make the stock. Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a large pot. Add the shrimp shells and sauté briefly. Add the corn cobs, onion, celery, and bay leaves. Cover with water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the liquid reduces by about half. Strain the stock and discard the solids. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove.
• Step 3: Heat more extra virgin olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, and then layer in minced garlic and jalapeño. Add the potatoes and fresh corn and sauté briefly. Cover with the homemade stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
• Step 4: Finish the chowder by adding the raw shrimp and minced chives. Simmer until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through.

From there, you’re ready to serve! Ladle the chowder into bowls and finish with more minced chives on top.

Shrimp Corn Chowder

A rich and comforting shrimp corn chowder starts with a flavorful homemade shrimp stock paired with juicy shrimp, sweet corn, and just the right amount of heat.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 431kcal

Equipment

• Large pot
• Fine mesh sieve

Ingredients

Shrimp stock:

• 1 pound large shrimp (thawed)
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ears corn (cut from the cob; cobs reserved and kept separate from the corn)
• 1 yellow onion (peeled and quartered)
• 2 ribs celery (trimmed and cut into large chunks)
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 cups water
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt

Chowder:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
• 4 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 1 jalapeño (trimmed and minced)
• 1½ pounds russet potatoes (peeled and cut into bite-sized cubes)
• 1½ teaspoons kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• Black pepper (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced chives (or 1 tablespoon dry chives; plus more for garnish)

Instructions

Prepare the shrimp:

• Peel and devein the shrimp. Roughly chop half the shrimp and leave the remaining half whole. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed. Reserve the shrimp shells.

Prepare the shrimp stock

• Heat 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Add the bare corn cobs, onion, celery, and bay leaves. Cover with 8 cups of water. Add 1½ teaspoons kosher salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour until the liquid reduces by about half.
• Turn off the heat and strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Discard the soldis. You should have about 4 to 5 cups of stock leftover. It’s okay if you have a little more or less. If you have less than 4 cups, supplement with a little water.
• Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove.

Make the shrimp chowder:

• Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in the soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and jalapeño and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
• Add the potatoes and reserved corn and season with 1½ teaspoons kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
• Cover with the reserved shrimp stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Crush a few of the potatoes against the side of the pot to create a thicker broth.
• Add the shrimp to the pot and finish with 2 tablespoons freshly minced chives. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.

To serve:

• Ladle the chowder into bowls. Finish with a sprinkle of minced chives if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 13g | Sodium: 1944mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin C: 22mg

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