This easy Shrimp Corn Chowder recipe was inspired by the corn crab chowder that my grammy serves at Christmas Eve dinner. At our Christmas Eve feast, we have one major rule: do not, under any circumstances, have more than one bowl of the chowder. If you do, you are sure to ruin your appetite for the delicious dishes to come. Fact: no one keeps this rule, because it’s impossible. Every year, we each give ourselves a reasonable ladleful and savor it as slowly as we can, then everyone coyly side-eyes each other, waiting to see who will break first and go back for a second helping so that everyone else can follow suit. Maybe it’s our recent cold snap, but I’ve been craving this comforting chowder more than usual this year. I’ll gladly sacrifice my pride for the second-helpings chowder cause!
Like Grammy’s recipe, this Shrimp Corn Chowder is luxuriously rich and creamy, absolutely loaded with seafood (no wimpy chowder here!), and tastes decadent enough to serve at a special holiday meal. Unlike her recipe, however, but like Corn Chicken Chowder, it’s wholesome and easy enough to prepare on an average weeknight. Believe me, I adore my grammy’s corn chowder and its unapologetic quantities of butter and cream; it’s just not something I can eat every week…which is why I break the rule and have two bowls on Christmas Eve. This Shrimp Corn Chowder, however, is a different tale.
The Key to Lightening Up Shrimp Corn Chowder
To create a thick, rich chowder base that didn’t rely on heavy cream, I started by making a roux with flour, a touch of butter, and nonfat milk (for a step-by-step visual, check out the video at the bottom of the post), then added a can of cream-style corn. The creamed corn gives the shrimp corn chowder body and a light, subtle sweetness that’s beautifully balanced by a kick of cayenne pepper. For good measure, I added a splash of half-and-half at the end, but honestly, the Shrimp Corn Chowder hardly needs it. If you’d like a spicy corn chowder, you can up the amount of cayenne, or do what my family does and pass a bottle of hot sauce around the table so that each person can doctor it to his or her preference. To hasten the prep time for the Shrimp Corn Chowder, and make it more affordable for everyday enjoyment, I replaced the lump crab meat in my grammy’s recipe with frozen shrimp. Frozen shrimp is a go-to in many of my healthy shrimp recipes, including Garlic Shrimp with Quinoa, Garlic Shrimp Pasta, and Healthy Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Noodles.
When combined with other flavors as it is here, the shrimp tastes fresh, not at all “fishy,” and is a total timesaver. In fact, the shrimp cooks right in the pot along with the rest of the chowder in fewer than three minutes. Although this Shrimp Corn Chowder recipe is fit enough for a weeknight meal, in keeping with a soup’s first mission to comfort (and to stay in good graces with Grammy), I did make one other addition: a topping of salty, crispy bacon.
The bacon’s smoky flavor and crunch is divine combined with the juicy pink shrimp. I’m confident that my grammy would approve, and that you and your family will too!
What to Serve with Shrimp Corn Chowder
Bread. For the ultimate dipping potential, serve this chowder with a tasty loaf from your local bakery or this Crock Pot Bread. Salad. A light, fresh salad like Anytime Arugula Salad would pair nicely with this rich soup. Tater Tots. A side of homemade Tater Tots would be a delicious and hearty side.
Other Warm and Comforting Chowders
Cauliflower Chowder Crock Pot Corn Chowder And all of these delicious Crockpot Soups!
