Favorite Shrimp Soup Recipes - Spicy Crab & Shrimp Soup - Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo

Spicy Crab and Shrimp Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

This is one of my favorite shrimp soup recipes. I clipped it from a cooking magazine - I don't even remember which one - sometime back in the early 1990s when I was living in northern California and have made it repeatedly since. It's definitely a keeper so it's nice to have it here where I will always be able to locate it.

This is definitely a main dish soup perfect for a casual dinner or supper with family or friends. Serve it with a simple green salad and really good crusty French bread.

Ingredients

6 tablespoons butter
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped celery
4 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
1-½ cups tomato juice
2 tablespoons dry sherry
½ cup pearl barley
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon hot sauce such as Tabasco
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and defrosted if frozen
½ pound crabmeat
Salt and pepper

Recipe Preparation

Place the butter in large soup pot set over medium heat, and stir occasionally until it melts. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until they are tender, about 6 minutes.

Add the clam juice, tomatoes, tomato juice and sherry and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the barley, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, garlic powder, hot sauce and cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat and allow the mixture to bubble gently, stirring often, until the barley is tender, about 25 minutes.

When the barley is tender, add the shrimp and crab and simmer until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo Soup Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Another wonderful hearty main dish shrimp soup recipe that works as a great meal-in-a-bowl soup for lunch, dinner or supper. It's adapted from The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great by Pam Anderson. It's a great book for people who want to lose weight while enjoying delicious food, the way she did.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium green bell pepper stemmed, seeded and chopped into small pieces
1 celery stalk, cut into small pieces
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (14.5 ounces) petite diced tomatoes
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
6 ounces cooked lean chicken sausage, sliced thin
6 ounces sliced frozen okra
¼ cup long-grain white rice
6 ounces uncooked medium-size peeled and deveined shrimp, cut in half lengthwise
1 teaspoon hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe Preparation

Place the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until it turns golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the green pepper, celery, broth, tomatoes, thyme, cayenne pepper, sausage, okra and rice to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce your heat to low and place the lid on the pot so it's partially covered. Allow the soup to bubble gently, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables and rice are tender, about 20 minutes.

When the vegetables are tender, turn off the heat. Stir in the shrimp and hot sauce, if using. Cover the pot and let stand to allow the shrimp to cook and flavors to blend until the shrimp turn opaque, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.