I first had this soup in Mississippi at a great aunt’s funeral.  In my family, weddings and funerals also double as family reunions – typically involving a whole lot of really incredible food!  My cousin Mandy, from Louisiana made this soup and shared the recipe with me.  That was over 10 years ago, I have been making it ever since….this is one of our favorites!  This Louisiana shrimp and corn soup is a great dish to serve on a cold wintery day.

Like many Cajun recipes, this soup starts with a roux.  We’ve included Mandy’s tips for stirring up the perfect roux!

Begin by melting butter on medium heat and stir in flour.  Continue stirring as flour and butter thicken and begin to brown.

Our gorgeous paper bag colored roux!

Add onions and Rotel to roux base.

Saute until onions are tender.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.

Mandy’s Louisiana Shrimp and Corn Soup
1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 onion, chopped
1 can Rotel tomatoes (use liquid)
1/2 can tomato sauce
2 cups water
1 pound peeled shrimp
1/2 cup green onions, diced
1 tablespoon parsley
8 ears of corn, cut off kernels and milk the cobb, or
1 can shoepeg (white) corn (do not drain)
2 cans golden corn (do not drain)
2 cans creamed corn

What to do:
Chop onion, set aside.  Make a medium brown roux using butter and flour.*  When done, add onions, saute.  If the consistency is dry or if it seems like it may burn or scorch, go ahead and add the can of Rotel tomatoes.  Add tomato sauce, water, corn and shrimp and simmer for 1 hour.  Add green onions and parsley, simmer 15 minutes, and serve.

Roux*
Ever made a roux before?  If not, we need to touch base on what you will be doing.  A roux is like a gravy; it’s browned flour and is used as a base to thicken soups, stews and gumbos.  It adds a great flavor and adds a nutty aroma.  You CANNOT leave the stove when making a roux.  You must constantly stir the skillet, or it will scorch.  It will take about 10 – 15 minutes for the color to turn and for the roux to be ready.

Melt the butter on medium heat and stir in flour.  Stir constantly!  The mixture will go through a phase where it bubbles and foams a bit.  Once the bubbles have gone away, the mixture will begin to darken.  The darker the roux the richer and stronger the flavor.  We are going for a medium roux for this recipe, a little darker than a brown paper bag.

Tip: like many soups, it tastes better the next day, so make a day beforehand and store in  the refrigerator.

by Peter, pictures by Sunshine