Healthy Shrimp Chowder

This Shrimp Chowder Recipe is like clam chowder but tastier!  It's packed with potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and plump shrimp. This simple, easy, and creamy healthy soup just happens to be lightened up and made without heavy cream!

Shrimp Chowder Recipe

This Shrimp Chowder Recipe is everything you want in a seafood-based soup... creamy, cozy, flavorful with the perfect amount of seafood AND vegetables.  This soup was inspired by my favorite Clam Chowder recipe but made with easy-to-find shrimp!  It's thick, rich, and creamy but in a healthier package.  You will LOVE this pescatarian friendly soup!

My version is even better than any seafood stew you'll find out at a restaurant because it's made without heavy cream and tons of butter!  To thicken it you use a bit of flour and 2% milk.  I also keep the texture light by using a combination of vegetable broth AND milk.  The texture and flavors are nothing short of dreamy.  There is a bit of butter in the recipe, but nothing crazy.  It gives it lots of flavor without a lot of fuss.

Each serving of my chowder comes in around 300 calories with nearly 20 grams of protein!

If you love shrimp and soup... get your favorite stockpot ready because this is a soup you'll want to make again and again.

Why You'll Love this Shrimp Chowder recipe...

• This Shrimp Chowder recipe is healthier and lighter than a restaurant version.
• It's filled with lots of vegetables to make it a yummy meal.
• It's simple to make and can be thrown together in less than 30 minutes
• It uses easy to find shrimp.
• It's super tasty and a crowd-pleaser for a family dinner or dinner party.

Plus there is PLENTY of yummy shrimp in this soup... I made sure it was nice and hearty to make it a wonderful meal whenever you decided to serve it.

Ingredients:

Here's what you'll need to make this Shrimp Chowder recipe.

• Shrimp: The big star of this recipe is shrimp!  Since it's a soup that you will not be cutting up the shrimp, you don't need to splurge on big ones.  In fact, any small ones will work.  Unless you have access to fresh - never frozen shrimp I recommend using frozen shrimp for this recipe because it is more cost-effective for a soup.  Thaw them out by placing the bag in the fridge overnight or place them in your sink under cool water.
• Onion: Onion provides the perfect savory base for chowder.  It has lots of flavors! Dice it up to prep it for the recipe.
• Carrots: Carrots add color, flavor, and nutrients to this soup.  They will also need to be diced.
• Celery: Celery adds that classic chowder flavor to this soup.  You'll need to dice these too.
• Potatoes: I like to use Yukon potatoes for this recipe.  I like the yellow, creamy flavor for this chowder.  Feel free to use your favorite or whatever type you have on hand.  Russet or even red potatoes would also work.  Just be sure to cut them in even ½ inch pieces for even cooking.
• Butter: This soup works best with just a touch of butter to saute the vegetables in!
• Flour: To thicken the soup I use a bit of classic flour.
• Milk: Milk gives this soup a creamy texture.  To keep the calorie count down, I tested with 2% but if you wanted something lighter you could also use skim.  If you want something richer use whole or even half and half.
• Vegetable Broth:  I also cut the amount of milk with vegetable broth to keep this soup lighter.  Use your favorite low sodium brand.
• Spices:  You can mix up the spices in this Shrimp Chowder, but I went for classic soup flavors like Old Bay, bay leaves, and thyme.  You can also leave that out and do Cajun Seasoning OR my Italian Spice Mix instead.

Directions:

Here's how to make this super simple Shrimp Chowder recipe.  I love making it in this type of pot.

1. In a large stockpot or dutch oven, over medium heat, melt the butter. Sauté the carrots, celery, and onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
2. Add the flour and stir for 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn it.  The flour acts as a thickening agent when you add the milk.
3. Add the milk slowly to the pot.  Whisking out any lumps from the flour.  Then add the vegetable broth to the pot.  Bring to a gentle boil and allow to thicken.  Reduce the heat to medium-high for a few minutes until well combined and thickened some. Season with the thyme, old bay, bay leaves, and generously salt and pepper. Add the potatoes to the pot and cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are mostly tender.
4. Add the shrimp. Allow the shrimp to cook for 3-5 minutes. The shrimp will be done when they are opaque.
5. Remove the pot from the heat and serve in soup bowls.

Cooking Tips, Variations & FAQ

• Watch the shrimp carefully for this Shrimp Chowder recipe to make sure you don't overcook them.  Shrimp are done when they are just starting to turn pink and curl up.
• Garnish the soup with parsley, green onions, or chives.
• Fresh cracked black pepper is the best on this soup!

Variations

• If you like garlic, you could also add it to this soup.
• Fresh, frozen, or canned corn would also taste great in this chowder.  That would make this a Shrimp Corn Chowder.
• Make it spicy by adding red pepper flakes.
• If you are not pescatarian, you can use chicken broth or chicken stock.

How to thicken chowder?

There are several ways to thicken chowder but for this recipe, I add flour to the vegetables.  Combining it with the butter and veggies before adding the milk allows it to thicken it when you add it.  It's like a roux.

How to store leftovers and reheat?

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  Use care when reheating the soup because shrimp can get quickly overcooked.  You can reheat it in the microwave or stovetop but only heat it for just as long as necessary to warm the soup.

Can you freeze this Shrimp Chowder recipe?

I think that this soup is best enjoyed fresh.  Creamy soups with seafood don't freeze the best BUT that being said, you can still freeze it.  Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months.

What to Serve with this Shrimp Chowder Recipe:

• Crusty Bread
• Soda Crackers
• Grilled Vegetable Sandwich
• Kale Ceasar Salad
• Mediterranean Chopped Salad
• Asparagus and Tomato Salad

More Healthy Shrimp Recipes to Try:

• Shrimp and Zoodles
• Sheet Pan Shrimp Teriyaki
• Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Healthy Grilled Shrimp in Foil
• Buffalo Shrimp Skewers

More Healthy Soup Recipes to Love:

• Vegetarian Baked Potato Soup
• Kale Tortellini Soup
• Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Shrimp Chowder Recipe

Julie Wunder

This Shrimp Chowder Recipe is like clam chowder but tastier!  It's packed with potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and plump shrimp. This simple, easy, and creamy healthy soup just happens to be lightened up and made without heavy cream!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 309 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• ½ cup carrots, diced
• ½ cup celery, diced
• 5 cups Yukon potatoes, cut in ½ inch pieces
• 1 pound small raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon old bay
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

• In a large stockpot, over medium heat, melt the butter. Sauté the carrots, celery and onion for 5 minutes or until softened. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Add the flour and stir for 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn it.
• Add the milk slowly to the pot.  Whisking out any lumps from the flour.  Then add the vegetable broth to the pot.  Bring to a gentle boil and allow to thicken.  Reduce the heat to medium-high for a few minutes until well combined and thickened some. Season with the thyme, old bay, bay leaves, and generously salt and pepper.
• Add the potatoes to the pot and cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are mostly tender.
• Add the shrimp. Allow the shrimp to cook for 3-5 minutes. The shrimp will be done when they are opaque.
• Reduce the pot from the heat and serve.

Notes

If you want a richer flavor you can use whole milk or half and half.

Store any leftover in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat carefully as you can overcook the shrimp.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 47gProtein: 19gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 840mgPotassium: 1171mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 2332IUVitamin C: 42mgCalcium: 223mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Shrimp Chowder, Shrimp Chowder Recipe

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