Potato & Shrimp Soup

With the cold front that blew in this weekend, potato soup sounded like the perfect dinner.  So, I got to looking for a recipe and stumbled on Paula Deen's Potato & Shrimp Soup.  Let me tell you, it more than hit the spot, and warmed from the inside out.

All the goodies ready to go:

 Diced onion and butter, sauteing.  

Boiling soup, by this point the whole house smelled heavenly, and the tummy grumbling was uncontrollable (you can see Jason's hand in the side of the picture, he was lurking awfully close the last 5 minutes).

I cheated a little and bought already cooked shrimp, thawed them, and cut into pieces.

 Adding the shrimp, and almost done!

Disclaimer:  This is not a quick, tidy recipe, but the results are so worth it.  I am usually obsessively pretty clean, but not when it comes to cooking.  I am a messy cook.  But it doesn't sit long.  My OCD won't allow it.

 And then, Jason ruined his by adding oysters.  Nasty, slimy oysters.  My delicious soup was defiled.  I added bacon, cheese, and green onions to mine, which was just perfect.

 

My beautiful bowl of soup

Jason's "creation".

And while I was cooking, my darling made me a fire.  It was the perfect setting for a delicious dinner and a movie.  

And the recipe for those of you who want to taste:

Potato & Shrimp Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 stick butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 medium carrots, diced about the same size as the onion
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups milk, whole, reduced fat (2 percent) or low fat (1 percent)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes, dissolved in 1/2 cup hot milk
• 1 cup half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups salted water
• 1 pound medium shrimp
• Crumbled bacon bits, for garnish
• Grated sharp Cheddar, for garnish
• Dill sprigs, optional garnish

Directions

In a 4-quart saucepan, melt the butter and saute the onion and carrots until both are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the potatoes, milk, and dissolved bouillon cubes. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft and some of them have begun to dissolve into mush. Add the half-and-half, salt, and pepper.

In a small saucepan, bring 2 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Add the shrimp all at once and stir well. Watch the shrimp closely; as soon as they all turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes, turn off the heat and drain. The shrimp should be slightly undercooked. When they are cool, peel them, and chop roughly into big chunks. Add the shrimp to the soup and stir well. Serve soup sprinkled with bacon bits and grated cheese. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

Cook's Note: If you don't have access to shrimp, use corn.