A healthier soup that’s a satisfying meal
Who doesn’t love a good mealsized soup? And my Louisianastyle shrimp version is not only super-satisfying, but health minded, too. My recipe hack slashes the amount of oil used in the roux (a mixture of fat— like oil or butter—and flour) that serves as the soup’s base, and adds chicken stock, veggies, plump, juicy shrimp and one of my favourite not-sosecret spice staples: Old Bay. If you want to give this meal a little more gusto, just add cooked rice to the mix.
Louisiana-Style Shrimp Soup ✓ Ricardo Tested
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup (35 g) dark toasted flour
4 cups (1 litre) chicken broth
1 tomato, diced 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning (see note)
3/4 lb (340 g) small shrimp (91-110), peeled
1 green onion, chopped Cooked white rice, if desired
In a large pot over medium heat, soften the onion in the oil. Add the celery, bell pepper and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add the toasted flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the vegetables. Add the broth while whisking to emulsify the soup. Add the tomato and Old Bay, and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
Reduce the heat and add the shrimp. Let simmer for 6 to 8 minutes or until fully cooked. Adjust the seasoning. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the green onion. Add cooked rice to the soup, if desired.
Makes 4 servings. Note
To replace Old Bay seasoning, grind 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 1 tbsp celery seeds and 6 bay leaves in a spice mill. Add 1 tsp cayenne pepper. The spice mix will keep for 3 months in an airtight container at room temperature.