Cream of Shrimp Soup is one of our favourite soups to cook at home from Louisiana.
Our authentic Cream of Shrimp Soup, also known as Cajun Shrimp Chowder, Louisiana Soup and Shrimp and Corn Soup, is quick and easy to make, ready to serve in under an hour.
You’ll love spooning through a bowl of homemade Louisiana Cream of Shrimp Soup featuring flavourful garlic, onions, paprika, Andouille sausage, peppers, thyme and sherry.
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What Is Soup?
Soup is a liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but can also be served cold like gazpacho), that is prepared by combining meat or vegetables with stock or water.
Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavours are extracted, creating a rich broth.
Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two. Soups generally have more liquid (broth) than chunkier and heartier stews.
In traditional French cuisine, soups are classified into two groups: clear soups (bouillon and consomme) and thick soups (purees, bisques, veloutes).
Purées are vegetable soups thickened with starch; bisques are made from puréed shellfish or vegetables thickened with cream; cream soups may be thickened with béchamel sauce; and veloutés are thickened with eggs, butter, and cream.
History of Soup
Evidence of the existence of soup can be found as far back as about 20,000 BC. Boiling was not a common cooking technique until the invention of waterproof containers, such as clay pots. To boil the water hot rocks were used.
The word soup comes from French soupe (broth), which comes through Vulgar Latin suppa (“bread soaked in broth”) from a Germanic source, from which also comes the word “sop”, a piece of bread used to soak up soup or a thick stew.
The word restaurant (meaning “restoring”) was first used in France in the 16th century, to refer to a highly concentrated, inexpensive soup, sold by street vendors, that was advertised as a cure to physical exhaustion. In 1765, a Parisian entrepreneur opened a shop specializing in such soups. This prompted the use of the modern word restaurant for eating establishments.
In America, the first colonial cookbook was published by William Parks in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1742, based on Eliza Smith’s The Compleat Housewife; or Accomplished Gentlewoman’s Companion, and it included several recipes for soups and bisques.
English cooking dominated early colonial cooking; but as new immigrants arrived from other countries, other national soups gained popularity. In particular, German immigrants living in Pennsylvania were famous for their potato soups. In 1794, Jean Baptiste Gilbert Payplat dis Julien, a refugee from the French Revolution, opened an eating establishment in Massachusetts called The Restorator, and became known as the “Prince of Soups”.
Travel to Louisiana by Cooking Cream of Shrimp Soup at Home
I love traveling to the United States.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in the American South, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Cajun Cream of Shrimp Soup. I’ve embarked on culinary adventures at Cajun and Creole restaurants in Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Florida, California, New York, Oregon, Arizona, Michigan, Massachusetts, Colorado, Vegas, Hawaii and Pennsylvania.
In New Orleans, I slurped hot bowls of Cajun Cream of Shrimp Soup in the city’s finest restaurants including Dickie Brennan’s Tableau, Ruby Slipper Cafe, The Court of Two Sisters, Luke Restaurant and on a rural road trip to the luxurious Houmas House.
Where To Eat Authentic Cream of Shrimp Soup
If you live in a large city in Canada or America you’ll likely have access to a local Cajun or Creole restaurant that serves a traditional Cream of Shrimp Soup.
Haven’t traveled to the Louisiana before? It may be helpful to first sample Cream of Shrimp Soup at a local restaurant to better understand how the soup is served. You’ll get an idea of what vegetables you want to include and how thick or thin you want to prepare your creamy Cajun soup. You’ll also find inspiration on what to pair with Cream of Shrimp Soup such as such as cornbread, grits or spicy cajun salad.
In Toronto, popular Southern Soul Food restaurants that may serve a traditional Cream of Shrimp Soup include Bourbon Street Grill, New Orleans Seafood Steakhouse, The Stockyards, The Carbon Bar and Roux.
My Family Loves Cajun Shrimp Soup
My family has a tradition of eating soup and salad for lunch on Sunday’s after getting home from church. Soup is such an simple and brainless meal to serve a busy family with kids.
My dad would often make cream of tomato soup and serve a bowl with grilled cheese sandwiches and pickles. Our family also loved slurping through bowls of Butternut Squash Soup, French Onion Soup and Chicken Noodle Soup.
Some of the fondest memories of my childhood spent in Toronto, Markham, Oakville and Muskoka are cozying up to a bowl of homemade soup with gourmet crackers, artisanal cheese and sourdough bread.
During October in Ontario we’d often visit popular Fall Fairs in Norfolk County, Niagara and Prince Edward County to go on fun rides, run through corn mazes and purchase fresh local fruits and vegetables at the peak of harvest season.
Potatoes, corn, peppers, onions and tomatoes are available in abundance year round in Canada but we especially love to serve this savoury soup during Thanksgiving and the chilly winter season.
Cream of Shrimp Soup Health Benefits
Our homemade Cream of Shrimp Soup recipe is packed full of healthy ingredients!
Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of leeks can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Bell Peppers are an incredible source of vitamins C and A, which support your skin and immune system. They also provide beneficial carotenoid compounds such as beta-carotene, which has been shown to reduce the risk of certain cancers.
Rich in a group of phytochemicals called carotenoids, tomatoes may help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, and provide protection against cancer. Tomatoes are also a good source of immune-boosting vitamin C.
Cayenne owes its superfood status to capsaicin, an antibacterial phytochemical that supports digestive health. The pungent spice may also help improve circulation.
Rich in energy-boosting manganese and anti-inflamatory phytochemicals, thyme may help keep your blood and immune system healthy.
Shrimp Soup Tips
This healthy homemade soup is quick and easy to make at home. We’ve included a few tips for first time soup makers!
- Use a large cast iron dutch oven with a high rim to reduce splatter when cooking and pureeing the vegetables.
- We suggest using a high quality rubber spatula spoon when making soup so you can easily stir, scrape down the side of the pot and sip to check if it needs to be seasoned further with more salt before spooning into bowls.
- If you want a spicier soup feel free to add the jalapeno pepper seeds to the boiling pot.
- If you can’t find andouille sausage at the grocery store substitute for chorizo.
What To Serve with Our Cream of Shrimp Soup Recipe
There’s nothing more comforting on a cold day then cozying up to a bowl of soup with a fresh salad, gourmet crackers, artisanal cheeses, sourdough bread, savoury muffins and homemade pickles.
If you’re hosting a large dinner party you might want to serve our Cajun Cream of Shrimp Soup as an appetizer before serving heartier mains. We love serving this soup with Osaka Okonomayaki, Calgary Ginger Beef, Keto Jalapeno Poppers, Instant Pot Short Rib Ragu, Cheesy Polenta, Vegetarian Roti Canai Curry, Gruyere Grilled Cheese Sandwich, Old School Cheese and Onion Pie, Green Onion Cake, Baked Mediterranean Chicken Thighs, Baked Chicken Cracklings, Homemade Savoury Pickle Pie, Indian Crepes, Vietnamese Crepe Bánh Xèo, Tartiflette Reblochon or Ricotta Gnocchi.
After dinner why not dazzle your guests with one of our popular desserts such as Oat Flour Cookies with Chocolate Chips, Dark Chocolate Lindt Lindor Cookies, Maraschino Cherry Cupcakes Recipe or Cinnamon Babka For Chocolate Lovers.
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Storing Soup
If you have leftover Cream of Shrimp Soup you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week. To reheat simply zap it in the microwave or simmer in a small saucepan on the stove.
We love doubling our soup recipes so can store leftovers in the freezer and save time on cooking in the kitchen. We suggest storing leftover soup in Pyrex freezer safe containers that have a snug lid so there’s not spilling. My mother often uses old glass pasta sauce jars to store soup in the freezer.
Be sure to let your soup reach room temperature before storing it in the freezer. If you add a hot jar of soup to a cold freezer it will significantly reduce the interior temperature and potentially spoil your food.
How To Make Cajun Cream of Shrimp Soup
Cajun Cream of Shrimp Soup
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or Large Pot
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- French knife
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Andouille sausage cooked and thinly sliced
- 1 Onion chopped
- 2 Celery ribs sliced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper chopped
- 1 Orange Bell Pepper chopped
- 1 Jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 4 Garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups Corn fresh, canned or frozen
- 4 Plum tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 2 tbsp Fresh thyme (or 2 tsp dried thyme) minced
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 lb Uncooked Shrimp peeled
- 1 cup Whipping cream
- 1/2 cup Dry Sherry
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven, saute sausage, onion, celery and peppers in butter until vegetables are tender.
- Add garlic, corn, tomatoes, chicken stock, thyme, chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes.
- Stir in raw shrimp, dry sherry and cream. Bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for an additional for 8 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.
Nutrition
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