Rosie Makes Shrimp Soup.

I recently made a dish with a bit of Louisiana flair - Shrimp Etouffée, or smothered shrimp -
and I had some shrimp stock leftover.
 What better way to use it up than with shrimp soup?

 As I've said before, Rosie doesn't do "Leftovers."  She does "Moreovers."  She takes what's left and makes something more out of it. I like to think of it as culinary synergy - where the whole is more than the sum of its parts.








 Now, the measurements for soup ingredients are not exact.  You can add more or less of one ingredient or another, so chillax and have fun cooking.  Making soup is not like baking a cake, where it's chemistry and accurate amounts are necessary.  It's just soup.


 

Rosie's Free-Style Shrimp Soup
2 pieces bacon, chopped up (or more)
1 TB butter
1 potato, small dice
1/2 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 TB butter
3 - 4 TB flour
1 cup shrimp stock (Or it might have been a little more.)
1 TB tomato paste
1/4 - 1/3 cup dry sherry
8-12 oz. shrimp, peeled and de-tracted
1/3 - 1/2 cup cream
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Chop up the bacon and place in a medium stock pot along with a tablespoon of butter and the diced potatoes.  Cook over medium heat until bacon and potatoes are slightly browned.  Pull out some of the bacon and save for toppings.  Drain all but a tablespoon of the grease.

Add in the other tablespoon of butter along with the celery and onions.  Cook, stirring, for a couple minutes, then add in the flour and cook, stirring, for at least a minute.  You want to cook the raw taste out of the flour. 

Slowly pour in the shrimp stock, stirring, allowing it to thicken. Then add in the tomato paste, sherry, and cream and stir until combined.  Lower heat to medium low and add shrimp.  Soup is ready when shrimp is just cooked through - about 3 minutes.  (I used medium sized shrimp for this.)

Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.  You can add more sherry and/or cream if you like.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with reserved bacon, some minced red bell pepper, chopped celery leaves, and chopped parsley.  Serve with toast.

Enjoy!