Saturday, March 21, 2009

Cheese Shrimp Soup (My Healthy Version)

This soup is awesome! Someone from work gave me the recipe; I have modified the original recipe to be fat-free. It is a great prelude to Friday night fish during Lent, a great idea for a potluck, or serve it with a salad! I am a lover of soup, so I enjoy it as the main dish.

Category: Soup
Prep/Cook Time:
Approximately 2 Hours
Cooking Style: Simmer on the Stove Top
Complexity: Easy
Servings: 10 (Depends on the bowl size!)
Date: March 21, 2009

2

cup

Carrots

Chopped or Shredded

1

ea

Red Onion, Medium

Chopped

2

cup

Celery

Chopped

1/2

cup

Flour

1

cup

Salsa, Medium or Hot

4

cup

Chicken Broth

4

cup

Raw Shrimp (about 120 thumb sized shrimp)

Shelled/Cleaned and Deveined. Cut in half. Middle, not length wise.

4

cup

Half & Half, FAT FREE

4

cup

Vegetable Cheese Product

Cheddar Flavor

1/2

tsp

Sea Salt

Optional

1/2

tsp

Fresh Ground Pepper

1

ea

Bay Leaf


SMART POINTS

1. Do not cut your shrimp or vegetables too small. You do not want either to disintegrate during the cooking process.

2. You need to stir this recipe constantly. Also, never boil it! Just cook it to the point that it is on the verge of boiling. Very low simmer.


Cooking:

1. Heat 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth to a simmer and then add carrots, onion, and celery. Sauté the vegetables in the broth until they just begin to soften and set aside.

2. In a separate pan heat the remaining 2 1/2 cups of broth while SLOWLY adding the flour and stirring vigorously. The mixture should turn to a paste at which time you should slowly add the half and half while stirring vigorously. Very low simmer.

3. Pour broth mixture into the pot with the vegetables, add the salsa and vegetable cheese, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring soup “almost” to a boil and stir constantly. Cook on the verge of boiling for 30 minutes.

4. Add the shrimp and bring the soup back to the point of being on the verge of boiling. Very low simmer. Once the soup reaches this temperature, cook for 30 minutes. Continue to stir constantly.

5. The vegetable cheese product should be fully dissolved in the soup after the 60 minutes of cooking. If not, continue the cooking until it is.

6. Remove soup from heat, discard bay leaf, and cover. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

My friend suggested a garnish of goldfish crackers and paprika when serving each bowl. YUM!


Enjoy!

Shef D


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