Cajun cooking was developed by French-speaking Acadian deportees in Louisiana, adapting elements of French cuisine to local ingredients with a spicy flair. Many Cajun dishes are single-pot preparations of simmered seafood, vegetables, and spices. Like many Cajun gumbos, this shrimp soup recipe uses filé (dried ground sassafras leaves) as a base, an ingredient that comes from Choktaw roots. The use of filé gives Cajun recipes an herbal, tangy savor, bringing out the stronger aromatic notes of green bell pepper and onion, also staples of the cuisine. The use of tomatoes in Cajun cooking can be controversial; this recipe includes canned plum tomatoes for a more robust taste and texture. While Cajun soups and gumbos can cook for entire days, this creamy Cajun shrimp soup achieves similar flavors with a much shorter cook time.
Recipe Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ green bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1 serrano chili pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 cups canned whole plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ tsp minced fresh thyme
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- ½ tsp gumbo filé powder
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Warm the olive oil in a large saucepan set over medium heat.
- Add the onion and sauté for about 2 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the garlic and bell pepper, followed by the chili, tomatoes, broth, thyme, and cayenne, and stir.
- Increase the heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and filé powder to the hot soup, cooking the shrimp in the liquid for about 3 minutes, just until it begins to become pink and opaque.
- Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot.
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