Caldo de Camarones (Shrimp and Vegetable Soup) Recipe

Author Market Street | September 14, 2023

Ingredients

 

Season the shrimp

1 pound extra large shrimp cleaned and peeled, reserve the shells

salt to taste

pepper to taste

⅓ Teaspoon chile de arbol powder or chipotle pepper

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice reserve the remaining lemon 

2 Tablespoons olive

Prepare the soup base 

2½ Cups water 

5 Chiles ancho stems and seeds removed

Olive oil  

4 Roma Tomatoes

2 Serrano or jalapeño pepper stems removed 

6 Garlic cloves leave skins on

½ White onion peeled and sliced thick 

4 Cups low-sodium chicken broth 

2 Teaspoons chicken bouillon granules or chicken base 

2 Bay leaves

1½ Cups corn

1 Cup French-style cut green beans 

1 Cup zucchini diced 

½ Teaspoon Mexican oregano crushed

¼ Cup cilantro chopped

Garnishes

Green onions sliced

Lemon slices

 

Directions:

Season the cleaned shrimp with salt, pepper, chile ancho, chile de arbol (or cayenne), 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then set aside.

In a small saucepan, add the shrimp shells, 2 1⁄2 cups water, the remaining juice of the lemon, and the lemon halves. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and heat to medium. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Then in a separate pan, add the chile ancho to some boiling water. After boiling, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.

 

Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium. Add the tomatoes, serranos, cloves of garlic, and white onion, and let cook for 20 minutes, turning as needed. You want some charring and blistering on the tomatoes and peppers to achieve a roasted flavor. Remove the skins from garlic and transfer all roasted ingredients to the blender. Drain the chile ancho and add to the blender, along with 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then blend on high until smooth. Set aside.

 

Finally, in a large pot, preheat 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the sauce from the blender and cook for a few minutes stirring as needed. Strain the broth prepared from shrimp shells and add to the pot with simmering sauce. Also add the chicken broth, bouillon, bay leaves, and 1/3 teaspoon of pepper. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Add the corn, zucchini, green beans, oregano and cilantro. When it comes to a simmer add the shrimp and continue cooking for 5 to 6 minutes. Cover, remove from heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. Garnish with green onions and lemon.

Topics: Hispanic Heritage Month