Shrimp and Corn Chowder Recipe
This Shrimp and Corn Chowder recipe is a celebration of summer's finest ingredients. There's no holding back on flavor either – use the corn cobs to create an incredibly flavorful broth that'll make this your new favorite chowder.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 4 ears corn, shucked (yields about 5 cups of corn kernels)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small or medium leek, chopped (white and light green parts only)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 3 or 4 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 12-16 ounces medium raw shrimp (peeled, tails off)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 green onion, sliced thinly
- Kosher salt and black pepper
Suggested toppings:
- Sour cream
- Smoked or sweet paprika
- Crumbled bacon
- Grated parmesan or crumbled goat cheese
- A few shakes of hot sauce
- Chopped chives
Instructions
- Cut the corn kernels from the cobs, and then scrape off some of the corn milk, too, by dragging the edge of your knife firmly down the cob over the kernel holes. Reserve the cobs, and scoop out and set aside 1 cup of the kernels.
- Heat the oil over medium in a 4 qt soup pot or Dutch oven until the surface of the oil shimmers.
- Add the leeks, onions, and peppers, and saute until soft (but not browning), about 5 minutes. Sprinkle a big pinch of salt and pepper over the veggies.
- Add potatoes to the pot and nestle the bare corn cobs into the vegetables. Depending on the size of your soup pot, you might have to break the corn cobs in half so they'll fit. Cover with chicken broth, making sure the cobs are mostly submerged. You'll use between 3 and 4 cups of broth, depending on the shape of your cooking vessel.
- Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain an active, bubbling simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily smooshed against the side of the pot with a fork.
- Remove and discard the corn cobs. Add the corn kernels (except for the reserved cup), and reduce heat to medium or medium low. Use an immersion/hand-held blender to blend part or all of the soup, focusing on the potato chunks, which are used here to thicken the soup. I prefer to leave a few chunks, but a completely smooth soup is delightful, too.
- Add the reserved corn and raw shrimp, and let cook through, about 5 minutes, until the shrimp are pink, plump, and opaque. Turn off the heat.
- Pour in the heavy cream and mix well. Taste, and season further with salt and black pepper, as needed. Sprinkle the green onions over the top before serving with your favorite soup toppings.