Shrimp Soup with Corn and Bacon

5 from 3 votes

Creamy and flavorful, this easy shrimp soup is full of smoky bacon, sweet corn, tender potatoes and fresh herbs!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword creamy shrimp soup, shrimp and corn chowder, shrimp soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings - 6 people

Calories 274kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

2 slices (about 1 ounce) thick-cut bacon, chopped
½ of a large onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth (or more to thin, if desired)
1 celery rib, diced
1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme (or ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme)
1 (8.25 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 ½ cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup whole milk, cream or half-and-half (or more to thin, if desired)
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Old Bay seasoning, to taste
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional garnish: additional cooked, chopped bacon; thyme or parsley; sliced green onion

Fry chopped bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, just until lightly browned and the fat has rendered. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add celery, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, and cream-style corn. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally (about 15-20 minutes).
Stir in the corn kernels and milk (or cream). Simmer over low heat (do not boil) until the corn kernels are tender, but still slightly crunchy (about 5 minutes). Discard bay leaf.
Season shrimp with Old Bay. Stir in the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 4 minutes.
Stir in parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve in bowls and garnish with additional bacon, herbs, or sliced green onion.

Cook the shrimp just until pink and opaque, then remove the soup from the heat. Overcooked shrimp become tough and rubbery -- not ideal!
Use whole milk, half-and-half or cream for a rich, smooth texture. I do not recommend substituting with lower-fat alternatives, which will not provide the same velvety mouthfeel.
This pot has a fairly thick, chowder-like consistency. If you prefer a thinner soup, increase the amount of broth or cream until it reaches your preferred texture.
Add more or less Old Bay to suit your taste. Start with a small amount on the shrimp, and then add more to the broth, if necessary.
Taste and season as you go. If you're using unsalted or low-sodium broth, you will likely need more salt than if you're starting with salted broth.
Add cooked, shredded chicken to the soup instead of the shrimp.
Try a shrimp and crab soup by swapping out the shrimp for an equal amount of crab. You might also like a combination of shrimp and crab for a creamy seafood chowder.
Add extra herbs, such as basil, oregano, chives or rosemary.
If using regular bacon instead of thick-cut bacon, increase the total number of strips to equal about 1 ounce.
For a Cajun shrimp soup, add plenty of zesty Cajun seasoning to the broth.
Double all of the ingredients to prepare a larger pot of soup.