Shrimp and Corn Leek Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices bacon, diced
• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
• 3 leeks, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• ½ cup milk
• 18 large tiger shrimp
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Ingredient Image

Step 1

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until it’s nice and crispy, about 10 minutes. Once it’s done, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, but keep about a tablespoon of the bacon grease in the pan. Next, add the leeks and celery to the skillet and cook them in the bacon grease until the leeks are soft, which should take around 5 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes until it smells amazing, then transfer everything to your slow cooker.

Step 2

Add the cooked bacon, potatoes, chicken broth, 2 cups of water, dried thyme, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Tie up the fresh thyme sprigs with kitchen string and drop them in as well. Set the slow cooker to high and let it cook for 4 hours. Then stir in the corn and cook for another hour.

Step 3

While the soup is cooking, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the shrimp until they turn bright pink and are opaque all the way through, about 3 minutes. Drain the shrimp and let them cool a bit before peeling off the shells.

Step 4

When the soup has cooked, lower the heat to low and stir in the milk. Let it cook uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until it thickens slightly. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of water until smooth, then stir that into the soup and cook for about 3 more minutes to thicken it up.

Step 5

Finally, add the peeled shrimp and some fresh parsley to the pot. Remove the thyme sprigs, taste the soup, and adjust the salt and pepper if needed before serving.