How to Make Caldo de Camarón, or Mexican Shrimp Soup
It is a hearty soup full of shrimp and veggies. Usually made with yummy, comforting goodness and lots of love.
Being in the US during Lent is just not the same. I miss going to church on Fridays and Sundays.
I miss the parties and praying the rosary with the entire neighborhood in the middle of the street. But what I miss most is the food.
My grandmother had her own food during Lent – Pescado a la Veracruzana , Calabacitas Rellenas de Queso, and everyone’s favorite, Capirotada.
She was very creative with her food. I used to joke with her that we played on the swings, and she played in her kitchen.
Caldo de Camarón is one of those dishes that reminds me her and of Lent.
Disclosure This post contains affiliate links.
My grandmother and the super duper religious Catholics will tell you no shellfish during Lent, but I Googled it.
You can eat shrimp during Lent. Hallelujah!
Caldo de Camarón, or Mexican Shrimp Soup, is a hearty soup full of shrimp and veggies.
Usually made with yummy, comforting goodness and lots of love.
It all starts with guajillo chile
Take the stems off first. Then, cut the guajillo chile open lengthwise with a pair of scissors.
See the seeds inside? This retains heat. Since I am not straining the sauce, it is important to remove and discard the seeds.
Remove the seeds and stems of all of the guajillo chiles.
In Mexico, the guajillo chile tends to be dusty. With a damp paper towel, pat them clean.
Do not rinse them, or you will lose some of the flavor.
Place the reconstituted chile in a blender. Blend until smooth.
For a thinner sauce, by all means, strain the chile sauce. As you can see, the sauce still comes out somewhat thin.
If you are straining, strain the sauce then add it to the pot.
Be sure to make a big pot for your Caldo de Camarón – Mexican Shrimp Soup. Your family is going to beg for seconds!
The depths of the flavors are enhanced by the Knorr Shrimp Flavored Bouillon
OR, you can use fresh fish broth instead of the water and bouillon.
Another suggestion:
Once you remove the shells from the shrimp, rinse them and add them to a stock pot. Add water, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil… Boom! Fresh shrimp broth.
Can you use cooked shrimp to make this soup?
Technically, yes.
Make the broth. Then at the very end add the cooked shrimp.
Let them cook for 1-2 minutes, or however long you need for the shrimp to heat.
However, this will not develop a strong shrimp flavor.
Shrimp Sizes:
Per pound
Extra Jumbo 16/20 count
Jumbo 21/25 count
Extra Large 26/30 count
Large 31/35 count
Medium Large 36/40 count
Medium 41/50 count
Small 51/60 count
Extra Small 61/70 count
Note: This is a soup. You don’t really need huge shrimp.
You want a shrimp to fit your spoon.
I used Large-sized shrimp in this recipe.
Fresh shrimp can last up to 2 days in the fridge. More than that, you run the risk of food poisoning.
Soup can last 3-4 days in the fridge.
You can also freeze the soup. In that case, it can last up to 6 months.
How to properly thaw out shrimp:
The best way to thaw shrimp is overnight in the fridge.
To thaw out shrimp faster, take the shrimp out of the package and place in a bowl with cold water.
Let the shrimp sit for 15 minutes. They should be ready to cook at this point. If not, rinse again and let sit for another 5 minutes.
Placing the shrimp in boiling water can cook the shrimp, taking away from their flavor.
If you are making another recipe (like Coctel de Camarones), this last thawing method might be ok.
Other things you can add to the Caldo de Camarón, or Mexican Shrimp Soup:
Calabacitas
Zucchini
Chayote
Cauliflower
Green beans
Broccoli
To make it spicier: thin slices of chile de arbol or pasilla chile.
It is hard being away from the people you love during Lent.
That is why I love making this dish and having the opportunity to tell my family stories of my childhood.
Memories that live on through our food and our culture are the best kind. Hope you enjoy!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 potato, peeled and cubed
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 garlic, minced
- 3 dried chile guajillo, without seeds
- 6 cups water, divided
- 1 Knorr Caldo de Camarón bouillon
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Juice of 2 limes
- Cilantro, handful, roughly chopped
- Avocado, optional
- Salt and pepper
- Boil two cups of water. Remove the stem and seeds from the guajillo chile. Add guajillo chile to the boiling water. Remove from heat. Put the lid on. Set aside and let cool.
- Heat oil in a large stock pot.
- Add potatoes and carrots. Stir for 3 minutes.
- In a blender, add the guajillo chile, the water it was sitting in, onion, and garlic. Blend until smooth.
- Add guajillo mixture to the stock pot.
- Add the remaining water and Knorr Caldo de Camarón bouillon.
- Simmer on medium heat until the potatoes and carrots are tender. About 10 minutes.
- Add shrimp and lime juice. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add cilantro at the last minute. Taste for good measure.
- Top with avocado and serve with additional lime. Enjoy.
More Mexican Shrimp Recipes
Shrimp Ceviche, Ceviche de Camarón
Mexican Shrimp Cocktail, Coctel de Camarones
Camarones a la Diabla, Mexican Deviled Shrimp
Shrimp with Chipotle Cocktail Sauce
Aguachiles
Tacos Gobernador
Yasmin says
Wow, easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Maggie Unzueta says
Thank you! You’re going to love this recipe.
Teresa says
Do you strain the chile’s after the blender or do you just put the mix in with the little bits of dried chile?
Maggie Unzueta says
Little bits of dried chile won’t hurt the dish. If you strain, I’d strain before adding to the pan.
Frank says
U have to strain the Chile’s after u blend them
Emmanuel says
Do you have any substitute suggestions for the shrimp bouillon, the packaged item is not compliant for the Whole30 diet program? Any kind of information would be very helpful. Thank you.
Maggie Unzueta says
Yes! Fish broth would work great for the Whole30 diet. I make my own fish broth at home, but so many people use bouillon. That’s why I included it. Hope you like it!
Emmanuel says
Awesome. Thank you! =D)
Emily says
Can this recipe be converted somehow to make a siete mares type soup?
Maggie Unzueta says
So funny. I almost made Siete Mares yesterday, but the mussels at the store didn’t look good. To answer your question, Siete Mares is not like Caldo de Camaron, but I’m sure you can try. Siete Mares is actually easier than this soup. You just need good fish broth and lots lime. No chiles are needed. I’ll have to share my recipe one day. Stay tuned!
Frank says
You probably don’t even know how to cook Maggie
Linda says
I love your shrimp soup recipe and can’t wait to try it this weekend, YUM !! I usually add tomato sauce after sauteeing the vegetables. but I will definitely try making it with the guajillo chile’s instead and add the shrimp bouillon. I can almost taste all the flavors involved
Maggie Unzueta says
Thank you! It’s such a great soup. Caldo de Camaron is a favorite! I’ll have to try it with tomato sauce. 🙂
Stephanie says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
My husband is from Mexico. He was given fresh shrimp and asked if I would make a tomato-based soup with it and add potatoes.
This recipe was a perfect fit and so easy to follow.
My husband was so impressed with how it turned out that he called two of his friends over to join him and they finished the entire pot of soup! They all loved it and kept complimenting the flavorful broth.
Amanda xiloj gomez says
Turned out so good maggie. So much flavor… everyone enjoyed it. Looking forward to new recipes..😋😋😍
Maggie Unzueta says
That makes me so happy!!! Glad you liked it.
Anonymous says
Are frozen shrimp okay to use or are fresh better?
Maggie Unzueta says
Yes, you can make Caldo de Camarón (or Mexican Shrimp Soup) with frozen shrimp. However, frozen shrimp will cook faster. So, add them at the very end for just 3-4 minutes, depending on the size. If they are really big shrimp, I would add them for up to 5 minutes.
Corina says
Only 1 cube of bouillon right? Not the whole box ..?