This Shrimp Corn Chowder is a flavorful and comforting soup that’s ready in less than 30 minutes. Juicy shrimp and tender veggies in creamy seasoned broth is the perfect way to enjoy a healthy, satisfying lunch or dinner anytime the seafood cravings hit!
Love soup recipes? Be sure to try these Chicken Corn Chowder, Creamy Zucchini Soup, Loaded Baked Potato Soup and Shepherd’s Pie Soup.
Table of contents
Shrimp Chowder
This shrimp corn chowder is a fill your belly, fill your soul, kind of creamy soup! It’s incredibly delicious comfort food and so quick and easy to make using juicy meaty shrimp and sweet corn, tender veggies and a well seasoned creamy broth.
It has a ton of flavor that my entire household can’t get enough of!
This kind of hearty soup will ruin a meal if you have a bowl beforehand. There’s no stopping at just one bowl.
Then again, corn chowder is filling enough to be the meal, so go ahead and have seconds!
I love a bowl of hot soup to cozy up to all winter long, but I will say, using sweet summer corn is reason enough to make this during those hot weather months too. There’s never a wrong time to make a big batch of it. It’s seriously the best!
Ingredients/shopping list
- Olive oil: Needed to sauté the shrimp, so you can use whatever type of cooking oil you prefer.
- Fresh Shrimp, peeled and deveined: I like using large shrimp but use any size you prefer or dice the shrimp into pieces if you’d like. If using frozen shrimp, be sure to thaw them first!
- Salt & pepper: A bit of seasoning for the shrimp. You can also sprinkle a little old bay seasoning on as well.
- Butter: I use butter to cook the veggies for a bit of added flavor, but feel free to continue using the oil instead.
- Veggies: Chopped onion, sliced carrots, and diced celery are cooked, then coated in the flour to help thicken the soup. The mirepoix adds texture and flavor to the broth.
- All-purpose flour: A great way to thicken soup beforehand, rather than using a slurry to thicken it once it’s done.
- Aromatics: Minced garlic & fresh rosemary combined are like a powerhouse combo. Part of why this shrimp corn chowder is so flavorful is because of these two!
- Chicken stock: This is pretty flexible! Use homemade or store-bought broth, or swap it with either seafood or shrimp stock or vegetable broth, if either one floats your boat.
- Corn kernels: Canned sweet corn kernels, or fresh corn cut straight from the grilled corn on the cob will work (hello smoky flavors!). You can even use frozen corn. If using canned, be sure to drain and rinse first.
- Heavy cream: Needed to create a rich creamy consistency for the shrimp corn chowder, which adds to its heartiness.
- Bay leaf: This is an optional way to add just another layer of herbaceous flavor. Will be removed at the end, if you decide to use it.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. Add finely diced potatoes and add in with the broth and corn and cook until tender.
2. Although this chowder has no bacon, feel free to add 4 or 5 slices of cooked, crispy bacon.pieces
3. Add diced red bell pepper in with the other vegetables.
4. Spice it up with a ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a dash of cayenne pepper or your favorite hot sauce..
5. Swap the heavy cream for skim milk or other plain non-dairy milk of choice.
6. Use ½ teaspoon of dried rosemary if you aren’t using fresh.
7. Use fresh thyme instead of rosemary if preferred.
8. Add a can of drained and rinsed white beans if desired.
How to Make this Easy Corn Chowder Recipe
You’re just 30 minutes away from diving into a bowl of wholesome shrimp corn chowder!
Step 1: Heat oil over medium-high heat. Lay the shrimp down in a single layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until just pink. Remove and set aside.
For this I like to use a Dutch oven or a large soup pot, that way if I decide to double or triple the recipe, I’ll have the room.
Step 2: To the same large pot, add the butter and cook the celery, carrots, and onion until they are tender. This should be about 6-7 minutes.
Step 3: Then, add the flour, garlic, and rosemary and stir for 1 minute until all the veggies are coated in the flour.
Step 4: Add 1 cup of broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot. This means to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to get the brown bits on the bottom off so they don’t burn. This also has the bonus of elevating the flavor of the broth.
Step 5: Pour in the rest of the broth along with the corn and bay leaf, if you’re using one. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and then reduce it to low.
Step 6: Add the heavy cream and stir to combine before adding the shrimp back into the pot to warm through.
Finish it with a squirt of lemon juice for a vibrant finish, and enjoy!
How to Make Corn Chowder Thicker
Don’t skip the flour! This is what helps to prepare the soup base to become thick even before the broth gets added. If you still want it a bit thicker than that, add in some mashed potatoes or diced potatoes. The starch will thicken it naturally.
You can also remove some of the liquid and place it in a blender to puree it and then add it back in (or place it in a glass measuring cup and use an immersion blender to puree it)
Last, you can add in a cornstarch slurry, but keep in mind as it cools, the shrimp corn chowder will continue to thicken on its own.
Tips
- Use whichever size shrimp you prefer. Just watch the cooking time and remember smaller shrimp cook faster.
- Cook the shrimp until just barely pink. You don’t want to overcook them, otherwise they become rubbery.
- Cut the shrimp into bite-sized pieces after they’re done cooking if you’d like.
- To save a bit of time, pick up a mirepoix mix at the store. It already comes diced and ready to go.
- Use a bit more cream if you prefer yours extra creamy.
FAQ’s
Keep it stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
If you’ve got a lot to heat up, pour it back into a pot and warm it on the stovetop over medium heat. If it’s just a serving or two, microwave your bowlfuls for a couple of minutes.
It’s already super filling so you don’t need much! I always like to make sure to have some of my quick sourdough bread on the table to help soak up the tasty broth. Cornbread is also a great day idea. If you’re serving a crowd, a simple tossed salad or this simple kale salad with lemon vinaigrette would also be great.
If you like this recipe, please leave us a comment and rate the recipe below. You can also find us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram!
Shrimp Corn Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ large onion chopped
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary minced
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups corn kernels
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 bay leaf optional
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a Dutch oven or large soup pot and heat over medium-high heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the shrimp in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.1 pound shrimp, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Cook the shrimp for 2 minutes per side until just barely pink.
- Remove the shrimp and set aside in a bowl.
- Add the butter to the same pot after removing the shrimp.2 tablespoons butter
- Add the diced onion, carrost, and celery and saute for 6-7 minutes until vegetables are tender.½ large onion, 2 large carrots, 2 stalks celery
- Then add the flour, garlic, and rosemary.2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
- Stir until the vegetables are coated in the flour and cook for about a minute.
- Add one cup of broth and scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to remove anything one the bottom (to prevent it from burning)4 cups chicken stock
- Add the remaining broth along with the corn, and bay leaf and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.3 cups corn kernels, 1 bay leaf
- Reduce the heat to low and add in the heavy cream, stirring to combine well.½ cup heavy cream
- Add the shrimp back into the pot and cook for an additional 2 or 3 minutes until the shrimp are warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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Lynn
This recipe was easy and quick to make. Very good flavor. Thanks for taking the time and list ingredients in the steps. i will make again.
Jen
Great soup! Delicious! My kids kept saying “it smells great mom!”. I did add some leftover noodles and it fit in well with the soup. Thanks for how it was written too- loved having the ingredient amount in the direction section!
Sherri
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Love the added noodles!
Moya
Sounds delicious ….I’m going to follow this recipe and I happen to have some small scallops today so I’ll use the scallops this time and shrimp anther time.
Maria Paradise
I sent her a thank you, with pictures this recipe is absolutely fantastic! , she replied back I added fresh spinach also , her step by step with the amounts to add included is absolutely outstanding no scrolling back up !! I’m a fan now !
Maria
OK I cook ALOT AND wanted to give you billion STARS thus recipe is epic WHY well as you printed steps YOU highlighted the amounts of each step with ingredient about no looking back up to you for cups tsbs etc absolutely fantastically written
Stan
Great recipe.
Cynt
This was a big hit with everyone that tried it. Even the picky eater, loved this meal.
Chris
I am the only one. Could I split the recipe and while making, put half the ingredients in a ziploc bag and freeze to cook another time?
Brenda
Made this soup tonight. Very good. Will definitely make it again for sure!!
Antionette Jackson
I love soups and this one did not disappoint. It was hearty homemade and quick
Added to family favorites ❤️❤️
Pam Reeves
I’m guessing that 520 calories are for the whole pot of soup?
Tiffany
I did chopped peppers and celery and onions and two cups of shredded carrots so I didn’t chop carrots. I also used potatoes which did a lot of thickening so I used only 3/4 cup of cream but before adding the cream I put the mixture through my Ninja blender on the pulse setting (two pulses) and then poured back into pot and added the cream and heated through. I only then did I add some of the shrimp and headed through as well. I will keep the shrimp separate from the chowder so I won’t have spoilage (I’ve made crab soup before and left crab legs in the soup and had spoilage). I also sprinkled chives on top with herb bread I get from an Italian grocery I go to often and everyone at home loves it. Thank you for the recipe.
Lisa
Could I use precooked shrimp (like from a shrimp cocktail or bag of frozen precooked) and just put it in later?
Sherri
Oh yes! you certainly can!
Viviana
I’m going to try the soup but will leave out the heavy cream since my husband is lactose intolerant. Can’t wait! Thanks.
Pat Lege
I will try some of these recipes and just leave out the pepper, onions, and garlic because I have cronic gastritis and I have a hard time finding good food that I can actually have.
Sherri
That is perfectly fine to do 🙂