This Creamy Shrimp Soup is one of the easiest seafood soups to make. Shrimp, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and fresh herbs are cooked in a creamy and cheesy broth.
On busy nights, this Creamy Shrimp Chowder is one of the recipes that you can quickly prepare and have a satisfying dinner ready in no time. One of my friends shared this recipe with me many years ago, and she said that this was her secret to having a meal ready just 30 minutes after walking in the house.
It's so satisfying, with the creamy and cheesy broth, the starchy potatoes and juicy shrimp. The onions, celery and carrots give it a nice flavor and the fresh herbs are the best finishing touch. You can also add some corn to the chowder for additional flavor and texture.
Most chowders are made with a roux, that is prepared with a butter and flour mix that thickens the soup. This version uses a spreadable cheese product that melts right into the broth, creating a creamy texture. A few years ago, I started adding cubes of brie cheese. The brie softens but it doesn't melt completely, so there are delicious tiny morsels of brie cheese interspersed in the chowder. It is such a treat!
Shrimp Chowder Video
Ingredients
The complete list of ingredients and their exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- water
- Usually I use broth as the base for soup, but in this case, I use water and it works perfectly. The cheese makes it creamy and all the veggies provide enough flavor.
- spreadable cheese
- There are different brands of cheese that are available. I have used President's spreadable cheese wedges as well as the Laughing Cow spreadable cheese wedges.
- brie cheese
- My friend who shared the recipe with me used only this spreadable cheese products in the soup. A few years ago I started using brie cheese in addition to it and I love the combination.
- onion
- carrot
- celery
- potatoes
- salt, pepper
- dry bay leaves + dry herbs and spices
- frozen shrimp - use frozen raw shrimp. I usually use small or medium shrimp for the chowder.
- fresh herbs: parsley, dill, green onions
What Kind of Shrimp Should You Use and How To Prepare It:
Raw shrimp is always best. Peel and devein the shrimp before adding it to the soup. This is really easy to do. Many times, shrimp is already sold deveined, but if it’s not, all you have to do is make a shallow cut along the middle of the back of the shrimp to expose the black “vein”, and lift it out. A paring knife of kitchen scissors work well for this.
Frozen shrimp is the best option, unless you’re buying fresh raw shrimp at a market where they sell it right after catching it. Frozen shrimp is usually frozen immediately when it’s caught, so it is really fresh. Plus, it’s really convenient to have frozen shrimp on hand for a really easy and quick dinner. Frozen shrimp thaws really fast.
For this soup, any size shrimp will work. Most of the time I use a medium size shrimp, because it stays plump and juicy and is just 1-2 bites. I've also use smaller shrimp, which are cute and dainty and perfect in this recipe too.
How to Make Shrimp Chowder
I love how quickly this chowder is made. While the water is coming to a boil, I prep the rest of the ingredients and it comes together so quickly.
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, prep the rest of the ingredients.
- Open all the cheese wedges. Cut the rind off of the brie cheese and cut the cheese into small cubes.
- Prep the vegetables. Chop the onion, grate the carrot, slice or finely dice the celery, chop the potatoes into cubes.
- Add the cheese wedges to the water first. Use a whisk to mix in the cheese until it's evenly incorporated. The spreadable cheese will melt and will become create a creamy consistency to the broth.
- Now, add the cubes of brie into the broth. Season with salt, pepper, dry bay leaves and dry herbs and spices.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery and potatoes to the chowder. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Cook the soup at a simmer, until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Lastly, add the peeled and deveined shrimp to the soup and cook until the shrimp is cooked through and pink, about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh herbs and serve.
Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions
I know it's unconventional, but it's delicious. You don't have to make a roux with butter and flour, since the cheese creates that creamy, thickened texture and adds the cheesy aspect to it.
You can either use 2 packages of the spreadable cheese wedges or 1 package of the wedges and one package of brie cheese, like I do. The flavor of the brie is wonderful with the shrimp. 
For the best results, use raw shrimp. It will be juicier and more flavorful.
You can use the cooked shrimp. Add it in at the last minute, just to warm it through.
I don't recommend freezing this chowder. The potatoes will fall apart and have an unpleasant texture after freezing and the cheese may cause the chowder to separate.
Instead of shrimp, you can use salmon, chicken or even meatballs. I really like making really tiny chicken meatballs for this soup. They go really well with this recipe. Add them at the end of cooking, just as you would the shrimp and cook until cooked through. I use the recipe for the meatballs from the Russian Chicken Meatball Soup.
Add Some Corn 🌽 To the Shrimp Chowder!
When corn is in season, I love adding some to the soup. It adds some crunch and sweetness and pairs so well with the rest of the ingredients. My whole family can't get enough of it.
Add the corn at the end at the same time as you add the shrimp. Corn cooks really quickly, so adding it at the end will keep it nice and crunchy.
What to serve with Shrimp Chowder
- Cheddar Biscuits
- Crusty No Knead Bread
- A simple salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Deluxe Bacon Lettuce Tomato and Avocado Salad
Creamy Shrimp Chowder
This Creamy Shrimp Chowder is one of the easiest seafood chowders to make. The creamy and cheesy broth has potatoes, aromatic vegetables and fresh herbs.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Soups
Ingredients
- 8 cups water (or you can use vegetable broth)
- 1 packages (6-8 oz each) spreadable cheese wedges, Laughing Cow or President's cheese
- 1 package of brie cheese wheel (8 oz)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1-2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced or finely diced
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1-2 dry bay leaves
- salt, ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ - 1 Tablespoon dry herbs and spices, such as, Trader Joe's Onion salt, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, dry parsley, chives, shallots, etc.
- fresh herbs, minced (parsley, chives, dill, etc)
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot.
- Meanwhile, peel the spreadable cheese wedges. Cut the rind off the brie cheese and chop it into small cubes. (discard the rind)
- Prep the vegetables. Chop the onion, grate the carrot, slice/finely dice the celery and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
- Add the cheese wedges to the boiling water and use a whisk to mix, until all the cheese is dissolved. Add the cubes of brie cheese. The brie cheese won't melt completely but will soften.
- Add onion, carrots, celery, potatoes and bay leaves to the chowder. Season to taste with salt and pepper and any combination of dry herbs and spices that you like. Cook, simmering on medium low heat for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the shrimp. Peel and devein, if needed.
- Add the shrimp to the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until shrimp is pink. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp. As soon as it turns pink take off the heat.
- Discard the bay leaf, garnish with fresh herbs.
This is an updated version of the Creamy Shrimp Chowder recipe that was published originally on June 13, 2012.
This soup is so easy to make and taste delicious ! I’ve done it many times already and everybody that tries loves it! Thank you Olga for a great recipe !
I'm so happy you enjoyed the soup, Mariya! Thank you for taking the time to write.
Hi Olga, you mentioned celery in the instructions, but not in the ingredients. Please clarify whether celery should be added, and if so, how much and how should it be prepared. Thank you!
I apologize about that, Natasha. I fixed the mistake and updated it in the recipe.
Thank you! 😊
Would already cooked shrimp work If I just heated them through at the end?
Sure, that would work. Although the soup won't have as much flavor because it's not benefiting from the shrimp cooking in the broth and flavoring all the other ingredients too.
Dont know why i waited so long to try this soup, it is so delicious, my kids said to definitely add it to the favorites soup section in our binder :). Will definitely be making it again especially in the colder weather will be perfect. Thank you for sharing it with us. Entire family loved it.
We maintain a low-fat, low-calorie diet. This chowder sounds delicious, but I am concerned about the nutritional content. Can you provide this information?
I don't provide nutrition information on my website at this time, but there are tons of nutrition calculators online where you just have to plug in the ingredients and it will give you that info.
Delicious. Will definitely make it again. Thank you.
I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Dottie.
A great soup. I added some chopped celery and a couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce to kick it up a little. Had never tried soup with that cheese. Really good and very rich and creamy. Thanks so much.
I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup, Jim. Thank you for taking the time to write.
The best soup I’ve ever tried! It’s so delicious! My whole family loved it!
I'm so glad that you enjoyed this soup, Oksana.
Hi Olga! Thank you for amazing recipes. I want to try making his soup, I bought spreadble cheese wedges one whole package is 4oz how many packages would I need for this recipe?
You need two packages and each package that I used is 6-8 oz each, so you'll need 3. It's completely a matter of taste though:). Add the cheese, mix until it melts into the soup, try it and see if you want it to be more or less creamy.
Sometimes I add a package of brie cheese too, which gives it great taste and it doesn't melt completely, but leaves little gooey pieces of cheese that is really yummy. Just cut off the outside of the brie, if you use it and cut it up into cubes first. I use the back of the wooden spoon to help the cheese melt by smearing it by the side of the pot. I hope you enjoy it.
Hi Olga- what exactly do you mean by two packages of spreadable cheese? Because in your picture it looks like you used 8... so you mean like the 2 individual triangles or 2 large packages?
Just thrown off by the picture.
Thanks!
Hi Ulyana,
You need to use 2 entire packages, not wedges, of spreadable cheese, 16 cheese wedges total. Sorry for the confusion.
This is a five-star soup. Many thanks for sharing the recipe Olga. My husband, who works in the restaurant industry, raved about it.