Gourmet Soup Recipes—Southwestern Corn and Shrimp Soup and Creamy Clam Chowder

Southwestern Corn and Shrimp Soup

You can never go wrong with this soup which blends the flavors of sweet corn, umami-rich shrimp, creamy milk and tangy limes.  They present a happy sight, too, when garnished with avocado and shrimp.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 (10-ounce) packages frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• 1 cup milk
• juice of 2 to 3 limes or about 1/3 cup
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• cayenne pepper
• pepper
• 1 lb. cooked frozen shrimp, thawed and roughly chopped, reserving 4 whole shrimps
• coarse salt
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
 

Directions:

• Working in batches, puree the mixture of corn, yogurt, milk, lime juice, coriander and cayenne pepper.  Strain the pureed mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl.  Extract as much liquid as you can and discard the solids.
• Stir in the chopped shrimp and season with salt and pepper.
• Serve garnished with avocado, tomatoes and reserved whole shrimps.
 

Creamy Clam Chowder

On some leisurely day, take time to cook this elegant and fine chowder which has the deep, robust tastes of clam, bacon and heavy cream.  This soup is half-pureed for a creamy finish but with chunky treats of chopped clams.  It will take some time, but the sip is all worth it.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ lbs. or about 12 cherrystone clams, scrubbed well
• 2 slices bacon, finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 lb. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• dash of hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• coarse salt
• ground pepper
 

Directions:

• In a large skillet, bring the clams and 1 cup water to a boil.  Cover and cook covered for about 5 minutes until all the clams are open.  Discard any that do not open.  Remove the clams to a bowl.  Strain the liquid to a measuring cup and add water to yield 1 cup.  Remove clam meat from the shells and chop coarsely.
• In a large saucepan, cook bacon over low-medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes.  Pour off fat and leave about a tablespoon in the saucepan.  Sauté onion and celery for about 5 minutes until soft.  Add in the thyme, potatoes, cooking liquid and one more cup of water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
• Puree about 1 cup of the mixture in a food blender until smooth.  Stir pureed liquid back into the soup.  Add cream and simmer over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Add clams and hot sauce and season with salt and pepper.