National Soup Month

It may be cold outside, but you can help take the chill out of winter with a warm bowl of your favorite soup to enjoy with your family and friends.

January is National Soup Month and is a great time to try some new bowls of warm, delicious goodness. This meal-in-a-bowl can include multiple food groups that are filling and can be an easy clean up with a one-pot recipe.

If you like to entertain like me, here are some quick tips to help you enjoy soup this month and throughout the year:

• Prepare your family’s favorite soup and save the leftovers for later meals during the week or freeze.
• Host a soup party with various types of soups featuring different protein sources and toppings.
• Save time and multi-task by creating your soup in advance with the use of a slow cooker while practicing slow cooker food safety. For more information on this see, HGIC 3585, Slow Cooker Safety.

To add to your list of favorite soups, try this recipe of Shrimp and Corn Chowder soup. This smooth soup is ideal for seafood lovers, and the blended potatoes add to the richness and creaminess of the blended flavors.

If you’re interested in using fresh seafood instead of frozen for this dish, be sure to check out factsheet HGIC 3482, Safe Handling of Seafood. You may even become inspired to add a variety mix of shellfish for your own twist.

Freshly made Shrimp and Corn Chowder Soup.
Faith C Isreal, ©2021, Clemson Extension

Shrimp and Corn Chowder Soup

Ingredients:

Nutrition facts label
Faith C Isreal, ©2021, Clemson Extension

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 ribs of celery, diced
3 medium carrots, diced into ¼-inch cubes
4 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 medium red potatoes, diced small
2 large russet potatoes, diced small
2 Tablespoon gluten-free flour or Arrowroot powder
1 can unsweetened coconut milk
4 cups of vegetable broth
2 cups fresh or frozen organic corn kernels
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1-1/2 pounds frozen peeled & deveined raw small
shrimp, thawed

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add in onion, celery, carrots, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper; cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring, so the flour does not burn.
3. Add coconut milk, constantly whisking until the mixture is smooth.
4. Add in broth and bring to a boil while constantly whisking.
5. Add in chopped potatoes, cover with a lid and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
6. Using a hand blender or potato masher, quickly blend the soup for a few seconds to make it creamy while leaving some potatoes whole.
7. Add corn, raw shrimp, cayenne pepper, and thyme; simmer for 5-7 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and just cooked through.
8. Serve hot and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Do not let leftovers make you sick! As soon as you are done eating, refrigerate your leftovers. Place a piece of tape on the container and write the day’s date on the tape to remind you to eat the leftovers within four days. If you cannot eat leftovers within four days, freeze them if possible.

Source:
Adapted from http://www.cleanfoodcrush.com