Spicy Shrimp Soup is inspired by a dish from a local Ecuadorian restaurant. Spicy, warming, garlicky, and comforting, you will go back for bowl after bowl!
“I live in Mexico and haven’t found shrimp soup this delicious! And to be clear, they make some mean soups here! Just the right amount of spice, and so quick and easy to make! Thank you! This will be a regular in our house.”
File Spicy Shrimp Soup under mission accomplished. See, there’s a wonderful Ecuadorian restaurant in town run by the nicest family that was even featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
The food is succulent, cooked from scratch, and satisfying in the way that only your Mom or Grandma’s cooking can be. You feel the love put into every dish.
Only problem is that last year I got sick eating my very favorite menu item, Camarones al Ajillo (spicy shrimp in garlic sauce) which this restaurant serves as a soup. It isn’t their fault, as their menu doesn’t have gluten-free items listed (very small and the waiters know every ingredient in every dish,) plus I’d eaten the soup dozens of times with no issues. My only guess is that the cook sprinkled in flour to thicken the dish up that day or something.
Watch How to Make It
Already long story short, my husband and I have been trying to recreate the soup at home for the past 6 months and we FINALLY got it right!
Spicy Shrimp Soup is comfort in a bowl. A combination of chicken and seafood stock simmered with jalapeno, a truckload of garlic, dried herbs, and fresh lime juice warms you from the inside out.
Jumbo shrimp are cooked in the broth for just a couple minutes before being ladled into bowls with cooked white rice, fresh cilantro, and raw jalapeno slices. The simmered jalapeno gives the soup warmth, while the raw jalapeno slices give each bite a little kick. This soup is SO spectacular.
Main Ingredients Needed
At first glance the ingredient list might look a little long, but many of them are kitchen staples. Here are the main ingredients you’ll need:
- Aromatics: shallot and fresh garlic are softened in butter until incredibly fragrant.
- Flour: gives the broth a little body. This soup is definitely on the brothy side though.
- Stock: both chicken stock and seafood stock form the base of this warming soup. I like Imagine brand seafood stock in particular.
- Tomato sauce: adds flavor and color.
- Jalapenos: a portion are simmered in the stock to provide warmth, then each bowl is served with sliced raw jalepenos for a spicy kick.
- Seasonings: bay leaves, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and white pepper flavor each spoonful.
- Shrimp: jumbo shrimp are added to the hot, simmering broth where they poach in just a couple of minutes, remaining nice and plump.
- Fresh lime juice: lightens and brightens the broth.
- For serving: cooked white rice and fresh cilantro round out each bowl.
How Spicy Is It?
I don’t love dishes that blow my face off so, as written, with 1 being ice cream and 10 being a ghost pepper, I’d rate this recipe as a 4 or 5 on the heat scale. My young kids eat it just fine without the raw jalapeno slices.
It’s one part refreshing, on account of the lime juice and cilantro, while the jalapeno and steamy broth will warm your soul. PLEASE try this spectacular soup recipe!
How to Make Spicy Shrimp Soup
Step 1: Saute the aromatics.
Start by melting butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add finely minced shallot and garlic cloves then turn the heat down a bit and saute until tender and light golden brown, 5 minutes.
The butter should just barely be sizzling as you don’t want the garlic to brown, just soften.
Step 2: Thicken the soup.
Sprinkle in gluten-free flour (or AP flour if not GF) then stir to combine and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
Step 3: Add stock and seasonings.
To the pot add the stocks and seasonings:
- Chicken stock
- Seafood stock
- Tomato sauce
- Jalapeno that’s been sliced away from the ribs and seeds (leave the ribs and seeds in for a spicier soup).
- Bay leaves
- Seasonings: dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and white pepper.
I recommend using stock versus broth in this recipe to get a super rich and comforting soup.
Step 4: Simmer the soup.
Turn the heat to high to bring the soup to a boil then place a lid partially on top, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Afterwards, remove the jalapenos and bay leaves then season with fresh lime juice to taste.
Lastly, turn the heat back to high to bring the broth to a boil then add 3/4lb jumbo shrimp that have been peeled and deveined. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until they’re cooked through.
Step 5: Serve.
Scoop the soup into bowls with cooked long grain white rice, plenty of chopped cilantro, and sliced raw jalapenos.
The jalapenos that simmer in the soup add a wonderful warmth to the broth, while the raw slices lend a kick. Definitely don’t leave them or the cilantro out. Serve fresh lime wedges on the side and you are SET!
More Warming Soup Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup
- Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
- Cheesy Taco Soup
- Easy Chicken & Rice Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Green Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 Tablespoon gluten free flour
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups seafood stock, I like Imagine brand
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 2 jalapeños, divided, 1 jalapeño sliced from the ribs/seeds, 1 sliced into rings
- 3 small bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 3/4 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 limes, 1 cut in half, 1 cut into wedges
- For serving: cooked white rice, chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
- Melt butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic then turn heat down a touch and saute until light brown and tender, 5 minutes – make sure butter is just barely sizzling as to not brown the garlic. Sprinkle in flour then stir to combine and saute while stirring for 1 more minute.
- Add tomato sauce then stir to combine, ensuring there’s no lumps in the flour/butter mixture. Add seafood stock, chicken stock, the jalapeño that’s been sliced from the ribs and seeds, bay leaves, and spices. Turn heat up to bring soup to a simmer then turn back down to medium, place a lid partially on top and gently simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaves and jalapeños then add lime juice to taste, and salt if needed. I usually use about 1/3 of a fresh lime.
- Turn heat back up to high to bring the soup to a simmer then add shrimp and simmer until cooked through – 1-2 minutes. Scoop soup into bowls then top with cooked rice. Add sliced raw jalapeños and chopped cilantro then serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- For a spicier soup, leave the ribs and seeds on the jalapeno that simmers in the soup, or use two jalapenos.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Oh, yum!!! I am a bonafide soup lover and this one sounds amazing. But, instead of doubling it, I think I will triple it and freeze the base soup in my Souper Cubes to have on hand for quick and easy suppers. So easy to heat up rice, cook the shrimp and add “fixings” for a quick 15 min meal. Definitely on the menu for this week.
Sounds like the perfect plan, Jeanie – I hope you love the soup!
So perfect! Loved it!
I’m so happy to hear that, Sharon!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Very good. we made it the first time according to the recipe. Second time we added a bunch of stuff and loved it with more veggies. we added chili crisp, cellery, mushrooms and carrots and garnished along with the fresh jalapeños with green onion and some parmesan cheese. we also used whole peeled tomatoes that were hand crushed instead of tomato sauce. deeeeelicious!
Love the chili crisp addition, Lena!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
EXCELLENT and easy recipe. Could be a sauce for a jamabalya style dish as well without all the effort.
I’m so glad you loved it, Deann! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Outstanding recipe. We loved it. We added a can of coconut milk before the shrimp. Keep the heat down low when adding. Coconut milk added another depth of flavor.
I’m so glad to hear that, Guy! I do have a Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup that it sounds like you might also like! https://iowagirleats.com/thai-coconut-shrimp-soup/
This is definitely a keeper. Only thing I had to change was I did not have bay leaf so I doubled the thyme and oregano but next time will use the bay leaf and not tweak the recipe at all. I love spicy food so I used 2 large jalapeños and left the seeds and gave it a nice kick. I did not make any rice so had flour tortillas instead. If I make rice I will have to thicken the soup. I plan on making this as one of my rotations during the cold winter months. Thank you for Sharing.
by tomato sauce do u mean ketchup or passata sauce
It sounds like passata sauce would be your best bet if you can’t find tomato sauce. As I understand it, passata sauce is tomato puree, which would be most similar to tomato sauce.
Ma’am…………. Try his recipe is outstanding!
I’m so glad you loved it, Tamara!!
I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Syl! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!!
I imagine this would be INCREDIBLE with rice NOODLES too. It just sounds like the perfect pairing. Maybe add in some fresh herbs and julienned cucumber… 🤤
For sure!! Have fun playing around with it!! :)
spicy shimp soup recipe was easy to follow w/ sm amt. of ingredients…And very good …..I will be making it again
I’m thrilled to hear that, Rita!! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Excellent! Very tasty and low fat/healthy soup, perfect as-is. I had fun with the toppers. I ended up buying a brutally hot jalapeno, so to bring down the heat, I added fresh corn kernels to the pot, and to the bowls added (along with the fresh pepper slices and cilantro) a dollop of sour cream, cubed avocado, and crumbled tortilla chips. The heat came down to perfect with these additions. This is a keeper!
Sounds so delicious, Donna! Those pesky, super spicy jalapenos — we had one the other day that they kids ate too. Eek!
For those of you saying you didn’t have seafood broth on hand, you can make your own by boiling water with the shrimp skins, heads, etc along with some celery, onions, and I like adding fresh ginger root as well. It is super easy, and makes delicious broth for soups. Recipe is delicious by the way!
Thanks for the tip, Adrian! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!