Catalan Kitchen LogoThe Catalan Table
Shrimp Soup
Creamy shrimp soup with an intense marine flavor, enriched with a gentle sauté of onion and tomato and a touch of butter that adds smoothness.
appetizer
prawn
boiled
soup
seafood
Ingredients
Servings:
4

Ingredients

  • 500 gprawns
  • 4 tablespoonsonion and tomato sofrito
  • 50 gbutter
  • 1 cupwhite wine
  • 1 cupmilk
  • 1 copetakonjac
  • 1 literbottled water
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 leek
  • salt
  • flour
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • white pepper
  • nutmeg
  • parsley
Nutritional Information

Per Serving (Approx.)

Calories
273 kcal
Protein
32 g
Fat
11 g
Carbohydrates
9 g

Disclaimer: These values are estimates based on ingredient types and may not be precise.

Step-by-step Guide

Preparation

  • Peel the carrot and the leek, and chop them finely.
  • In a pot, add half of the butter along with a bit of olive oil over medium heat.
  • When the oil is hot, add the carrot and the leek, and sauté for about 5 minutes without letting them color.
  • Before they begin to color, add the shrimp heads and sauté them lightly for about 3 minutes.
  • Pour in the cognac and flambé until the alcohol evaporates completely, approximately 1 minute.
  • Remove the sofrito and the shrimp heads from the pot, setting them aside. Leave only the oil in the pot.
  • Add a tablespoon of flour to the oil and lightly toast it while stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
  • Add 1 and 1/4 liters of water, the wine, the sofrito, a bit of salt and pepper, a dash of grated nutmeg, and the reserved shrimp heads. Stir well.
  • Let it cook over low heat for 30 minutes, partially covering the pot.
  • Remove from heat and strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer to eliminate impurities.
  • Separately, sauté the shrimp tails in the remaining butter for 3-4 minutes until cooked through.
  • Pour the cream into individual bowls or plates, and place the sautéed shrimp tails on top.
  • Sprinkle a little chopped parsley over and serve hot immediately.
Recommendations & Tricks
  • To intensify the flavor of the shrimp, briefly sauté them in butter until just cooked before adding them to the soup. This will maintain a firmer and more flavorful texture.
  • Add the white wine to the onion and tomato sauté when the onion is translucent. This will help deglaze the pan and incorporate the residual flavors of the sauté into the soup base.
  • If you want a creamier texture, try adding a bit of heavy cream to the soup along with the milk, but be sure to add it at the end to prevent curdling.