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