Shrimp and Corn Soup

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

This spicy Shrimp and Corn Soup has all the Mexican-inspired flavors you love! A spicy, tomatoey broth with the tang of fresh lime juice perfectly pairs with shrimp. Corn adds a touch of sweetness to the tangy base.

This restaurant-quality soup is also easy enough for a weeknight. Once prepped, Shrimp and Corn Soup comes together quickly.

Shrimp and Corn Soup is:

• Easy! Only minimal chopping skills are required and frozen corn kernels are a great convenience product.
• Budget-friendly! With shrimp, you ask? You bet! Smaller shrimp are perfect for soup and cost much less than large or jumbo shrimp.
• So delicious! The spicy, tomatoey broth is seasoned with chili powder, ground cumin, and Mexican oregano for a mouthwatering combination!
• Light enough for warm-weather enjoyment yet hearty and soul-satisfying for chilly weather.

How to Make Shrimp and Corn Soup:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this shrimp and corn soup recipe along with how to prep. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Bell Pepper: Use any color: Red, yellow, or orange.
• Jalapeno Peppers: We enjoy the added heat from the seeds, but if you want to tone down the heat, remove the seeds and membrane, as that’s where most of the heat comes from.
• Clam Juice: Clam juice is prepared from the liquid collected from steamed clams. Bottled clam juice is available in the canned fish and seafood aisle.
• Chicken Broth: With all the vibrant flavors going on and the addition of clam juice, the chicken broth won’t compete and adds depth. If you can find fish stock, you can use that instead. Vegetable broth can also be used.
• Mexican Oregano: Mexican oregano has an earthy flavor with citrus undertones and is a staple in Mexican cooking. Turkish or Greek oregano, which you may be most familiar with, is not a good substitute as it has minty undertones. These two types of oregano share a name, but that’s about it.
• Corn: I used frozen, thawed corn kernels, but canned corn is fine, too.
• Shrimp: I always buy wild-caught American shrimp. It has a superior texture to farmed, imported shrimp, and buying it supports American jobs. I also always buy frozen shrimp as the quality will be better than anything thawed and sitting at the seafood counter. (Because shrimp is so perishable, it is frozen shortly after it’s caught.) You can use any size of shrimp, but I like medium (often sold as 41-50 count) shrimp for shrimp and corn soup as one shrimp fits on a soup spoon, which makes it easy to eat, and it cooks in seconds! Here’s a guide to shrimp sizes from Fine Cooking Magazine. Look each one over for any missed veins or shell fragments. Chicken can be used in place of shrimp.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Gather and prep all the ingredients.
• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the onions, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until they soften.

• Add the bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until it begins to soften.

• Add the garlic and spices and cook briefly. Cooking the spices briefly is going to awaken their flavor.

• Add the chicken broth, clam juice, and diced tomatoes.
• Bring that up to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
• MAKE AHEAD:  Can be done to the point of adding the shrimp 1 to 2 days ahead of time. Cool and refrigerate. You can even add the corn ahead of time, just don’t cook it too much. Reheat before adding the shrimp.

• Add the shrimp and corn and cook briefly. Shrimp, especially smaller shrimp, will cook QUICKLY!

• Add lime juice and cilantro, and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• That’s it!!
• Serve with toppings if desired and enjoy!

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• To thaw shrimp quickly, immerse the desired amount in a bowl of cold water. Check the shrimp after 15 minutes and break up any clumps that freeze together. The shrimp may need another 5-10 minutes, depending on the size. Once the shrimp begin to become pliable, drain, peel, and devein if needed. If already peeled and deveined, look each one over for missed shells or veins. NOTE: Shrimp should never SIT in water for a long period as they can absorb water, and the texture will be adversely affected.
• Use two 10-ounce cans of diced tomatoes with green chiles instead of the tomatoes and chopped fresh jalapenos to save time.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Make it a meal with:

• Crustless Spinach Artichoke Jalapeno Quiche
• Sheet Pan Quesadillas
• Whole Grain Zucchini Jalapeno Fritters
• Simply Pumpkin Muffins

More spicy soup recipes sure to warm you up!

• Southwestern Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Spicy Peanut Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
• Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham and Chipotles
• Slow Cooker Cajun 15-Bean Soup with Andouille, Ham and Bacon

Get all my soul-satisfying soups at Soup and Stew Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen.