Summer Chowder

I love soup, even when it is 90 degrees outside. Not too many meals offer every flavor at once. All the ingredients of this soup are in season right now. It can be served warm or chilled and easily be converted into a vegetarian dish.



Summer Chowder

1 – 1 1/2 pounds unpeeled, head-on large shrimp
3 cups water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup yellow onions, peeled and chopped (about 1)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
1 cup celery, chopped
1 tablespoon finely minced jalapeno (optional)
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped (or thyme)
1 tablespoon whole wheat flour
3 – 3 ½ tomatoes, diced
3 cups frozen sweet corn kernels (1 16-oz bag)
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Remove the shrimps’ tails, peels, and heads and place these in a large saucepan. Set aside the shrimp meat in a bowl for later use in this recipe. In the saucepan, boil the shrimp tails, peels, and heads with the water and lemon juice for 10 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and set aside for later use in this recipe.

In a large Dutch oven, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil on medium-high heat for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the celery, chopped bell pepper, minced jalapeno pepper, and tarragon. Sauté for two additional minutes. Reduce the burner heat to medium, sprinkle on the flour, stir well, and sauté for two additional minutes. Gradually add, stirring continuously, the cubed tomatoes and the strained shrimp broth. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the corn kernels to the mixture in the Dutch oven and simmer for an additional three minutes. Add the reserved raw shrimp, parsley, cream, salt, and pepper. Simmer for an additional two minutes or until the shrimp is no longer translucent. Taste and correct the seasoning, if needed, by adding salt, pepper, and/or crushed red pepper, to taste.