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A Peruvian Favorite: Chupe de Camarones (Shrimp Soup)

I fibbed.

Actually, what Chupe de Camarones really translates to is Suckage of Shrimp.

Right.

So you understand why I didn’t call it that from the get go.

Are you still with me? I haven’t scared you off yet, have I? Good. Because in this instance, the “suckage” is really a good thing. A really good thing.

Because see, within the pleasures of this soup, you will find a treasure trove of golden, succulent, suck-able shrimp. The gorgeously aromatic broth, infused with aji colorado, an earthy red chile puree, seeps inside the shells and tails of the shrimp, inviting you to slurp up the richly goodness without abandon.

And then there’s the corn. Whole ears of corn. And eggs! Oh my!

Each one quite dippable and suckable, too. This gets me excited just talking about it!

I love this soup for many reasons.

#1: It’s delicious.

#2: It’s messy.

#3: It’s easy.

But, most importantly, because it reminds me of home.

So many times my parents and my sister and I would circle around the dinner table, each one supplied with an enormous bowl of soup, ears of corn and gigantic shrimp piled mile high, extra stashes of napkins handy. Cubed Monterey Jack cheese would sit prettily in the middle of the table, free to anyone that wanted it. And want it, I did. Let me just tell you, the way the cheese slowly melts into the soup, contorting itself around the shrimp, and the niblets of corn, is pure unadulterated heaven.

The better part of the time was spent in silence, save for the slurping, sucking, and intermittent sighs of pleasure. But we were okay with this.

It’s the little things.

And those make me happy.

Chupe de Camarones

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

2/13 – Recipe updated

Ingredients:

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 pounds raw tail-on shrimp

Salt and pepper

Dried oregano; a pinch

Cumin; a pinch

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped roughly

2 fat garlic cloves; minced

2 tablespoons aji colorado

6 cups chicken stock

4 pieces corn on the cob

4 whole eggs

1 pint heavy cream, at room temperature

Crushed red pepper flake, a pinch (optional)

Monterey Jack cheese; cut into small squares

 

Cooking Instructions:

 

In a large soup pot, add the olive oil and butter to melt over medium high heat. Toss in the shrimp, season with salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin and saute until almost cooked though and both sides are golden. It’s fine if they’re not done completely since you’ll add them back in later. Set aside in a small bowl.

To the pot add more olive oil and butter and toss in the chopped onions, garlic, and salt and pepper, stirring to combine and allowing to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the aji colorado and stir to combine. Cook for about another 60 seconds. Pour in the chicken stock, and using the back of a wooden spoon, scrape the bits on the bottom of the pan left behind from the shrimp. Allow the soup to come to a slight boil.

Lower the heat to a steady simmer. Add the corn and then crack each of the four eggs directly into the soup, in separate parts of the pot so they don’t stick together. Let this simmer for about another 6-8 minutes or until the eggs have set. Add the shrimp back in to the soup. Slowly incorporate the heavy cream, stirring gently. Taste the soup for seasoning and adding crushed red pepper for heat if desired.

To serve, ladle the soup into big bowls with shrimp, one corn on the cob, one egg, and a few squares of Monterey Jack cheese. The cheese will melt slowly in the soup and create ooey gooey goodness. This soup is really good served alongside crusty bread and lots of butter.

 

Provecho!

XO,

Steph

26 comments
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  • lil @ sweetsbysillianahFebruary 1, 2011 - 9:10 pm

    mmm… me gusto camarones! 😉 this soup looks so savory and soul-warming…i’d love some on this icy winter night!ReplyCancel

    • StephFebruary 2, 2011 - 9:09 am

      Si! Camarones son muy ricos, no? :-pReplyCancel

  • Christina @ Sweet Pea's KitchenFebruary 2, 2011 - 2:43 pm

    Wow! Look at that vibrant color! It looks so delicious and so perfect for the weather we are having right now! I am bookmarking this one, too bad I can’t make it tonight-we are stuck in the house because of the weather!ReplyCancel

  • AnnaFebruary 2, 2011 - 3:50 pm

    OMG! That looks amazing, the corn, the shrimp, wow…I totally feel like having a bowl of it right now.ReplyCancel

  • Junia @ Mis PensamientosFebruary 2, 2011 - 3:51 pm

    i went to peru before, but i never saw this soup there! it looks rich and delish!ReplyCancel

  • fooddreamerFebruary 2, 2011 - 6:45 pm

    LOL, the real translation of this is awesome, but you’re right, not so appetizing in English. Looks rockin’ good, though.ReplyCancel

  • JulianaFebruary 2, 2011 - 10:21 pm

    Oh! This shrimp soup sounds and looks delicious, love the ingredients in it…lovely presentation…and the photos are awesome 🙂ReplyCancel

  • MonetFebruary 3, 2011 - 9:57 am

    Hi Steph…the color of this soup is amazing! I love seeing the creamy orange soup with the shrimp on top. Thank you for sharing such a delightful recipe.ReplyCancel

  • lisaiscookingFebruary 3, 2011 - 2:41 pm

    Looks slurpable too! The corn, shrimp, and chile puree look delicious together.ReplyCancel

  • My Little Expat KitchenFebruary 4, 2011 - 8:21 am

    I love this kind of soups that are spicy and zingy and are full of corn and shrimp! I’m a sucker for shrimp and food that is… suckable. Wonderful dish Stephanie.
    MagdaReplyCancel

  • Fresh and FoodieFebruary 4, 2011 - 4:41 pm

    GORGEOUS! I love how the shrimp and corn sit on top and peek out of the broth.

    And, I really love your writing style. Very conversational and fun to read. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • Island VittlesFebruary 5, 2011 - 12:03 am

    This looks amazing…and to think there’s also an egg somewhere in with the rest of that deliciousness! Yum. TheresaReplyCancel

  • Chef DennisFebruary 5, 2011 - 11:09 am

    hi Steph

    your soup looks amazing! I have never seen a soup that had an ear of corn in it, and it is making me rethink soups! The texture and colour of your broth looks wonderful, I would love to try it especially with some of that Monterey jack
    Hope your weekend is going well!
    DennisReplyCancel

  • CristinaFebruary 6, 2011 - 3:41 pm

    I could see why everyone would be eating in silence. Jack cheese melted over this lovely shrimp soup, fantastic spices, eggs and corn. A lovely, comfort food soup!ReplyCancel

  • JessicaFebruary 7, 2011 - 4:27 pm

    If I had a huge bowl of that sitting in front of me, along with monterey jack cheese on the table, I am pretty sure that I would feel really, really great about it too. Not only does it look beautiful, it looks healthy and filling too! Well made.ReplyCancel

  • PaulineFebruary 8, 2011 - 5:40 pm

    I love the colours in this; bright and appetising, certainly cheered me up and the suckage of course!ReplyCancel

  • steph@stephsbitebybiteFebruary 8, 2011 - 11:14 pm

    This recipe sounds so intriguing! I wish I was eating this right now!!!ReplyCancel

  • CooketteFebruary 9, 2011 - 1:08 pm

    Love the colors and the ear of corn in the soup. This looks fantastic! Love your blog!ReplyCancel

  • KristenFebruary 9, 2011 - 2:07 pm

    Yup, I think I would stick to calling it Shrimp Soup. It looks so pretty with the corn on the cob served with it. I can just imagine how wonderful it tastes.ReplyCancel

  • Clarisse RoquemoreSeptember 18, 2012 - 10:44 pm

    I made this tonight with some yummy corn from our farm co-op 🙂 It was incredible! Thank you so much for sharing this unique dish–As an added bonus: it impressed all the kiddos, from 3-13.ReplyCancel

    • StephanieSeptember 19, 2012 - 10:23 am

      Clarisse, that’s so wonderful to hear! Did you make it with the aji colorado or did you sub it out? It’s even better to hear that the kiddies liked it too!ReplyCancel

  • Clarisse RoquemoreSeptember 19, 2012 - 11:24 am

    I did use the aji colorado–However, I had to make it with New Mexico peppers because that’s what I had on hand. Next time I can make it to La Michoacana, I’ll pick up some aji panca!ReplyCancel

  • Krystal Strickland BaltazarAugust 11, 2014 - 5:27 pm

    I just made this yesterday for my husband (who is Peruvian) and me. He LOVED it! I was surprised at how simple the dish is and it didn’t take long to prepare. I did use about half of the heavy cream and it was perfect. I will certainly be making this again.ReplyCancel

  • JnotAugust 14, 2016 - 2:12 pm

    I am not Peruvian but my wife is. I made this last night (with an extra dash of ahi yellow paste to spice it up) and it was great! Best of all, my wife loved it! She even texted pictures of her bowl to her family to show what her gringo husband was able to do

    I’ll be spending more time looking through all of your recipes!!

    Thanks for making these available for us non-Peruvians with a taste for Peruvian food (and spouses that enjoy these dishes from home).

    JimReplyCancel

  • Sherry LynnApril 20, 2017 - 6:03 pm

    To make it a just perfect, the original soup uses crawfish, in Peru camaron is crawfish or river shrimp and langostino is shrimp.ReplyCancel

  • WillMay 9, 2018 - 8:43 pm

    So I went to Peru in 2014, and wanted to share dishes I had there with my wife when I returned. I bookmarked this recipie and have made it every year, 3-4 times a year, since. It is amazing. The Aji Colorado is optional in my opinion, as I have replaced it with sriacha, tapatio, tomato paste, fresh home-made salsa, and all sorts of other stuff to give it flavor and a kick… Tomato paste when the kids were smaller and I didn’t want the kick.

    Thanks for the recipie and hosting it continuously, as I come back to it time and time again.

    – Will, USN –ReplyCancel

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