Caldo de Camarón, or Mexican Shrimp Soup, is one of those dishes that warms you from the inside out.
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With tender shrimp, fresh vegetables, and a rich broth made from guajillo chiles, every spoonful is packed with flavor.
If you’re craving something authentic and full of bold taste, this soup is the answer.
Table of Contents
🦐 Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Potatoes
- Carrots
- Onion
- Garlic
- Dried guajillo chile (or use a combo of ancho and guajillo to reduce the heat)
- Water
- Knorr Caldo de Camarón bouillon (or shrimp/fish/vegetable broth)
- Fresh Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Fresh Lime Juice
- Cilantro
- Avocado (optional, for topping)
- Salt and pepper
- Epazote and bay leaf (optional)
👩🏼🍳 Step by Step Instructions
- Boil two cups of water. Remove stems and seeds from the guajillo chile and soak it in the boiling hot water. Cover and let it sit until softened.
- Blend the guajillo chile with the soaking water, onion, and garlic until smooth. (Strain if needed.)
- In a large pot, heat olive oil.
- Add potatoes and carrots. Stir for about 3 minutes.
- Pour the chile mixture into the stock pot. Add the remaining water and Knorr Caldo de Camarón bouillon.
- Simmer on medium heat until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
The depths of the flavors are enhanced by the Shrimp Bouillon, creating a delicious broth. Or, you can make fresh shrimp broth.
How to Make Homemade Shrimp Broth
- Once you remove the shells from the shrimp, rinse them and add them to a stock pot.
- Add 6 cups water, ½ onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
- Bring to a boil. Discard shells, onion, and garlic before using the broth.
- Or, you can use fresh fish broth or vegetable broth.
- Add shrimp and lime juice. Cook for 10 more minutes, or until the shrimp is done.
- Stir in fresh cilantro right before serving.
- Top with avocado slices and extra lime juice, if desired.
🫙 Storing Instructions
Allow the caldo de camarones to cool completely before storing. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
🔥 Reheating Instructions
Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. If reheating in the microwave, heat in 1-minute intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through. Add a little extra broth or water if it has thickened too much.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes! Add an extra guajillo chile or toss in a chile de árbol for more heat. To reduce the heat, use 1 tomato in the chile sauce.
No. You can make homemade shrimp stock (or shrimp broth) using the shrimp shells, onion, garlic, salt, and water. It adds even more flavor to the soup.
This traditional Mexican soup is great with warm corn tortillas or Arroz Mexicano, or Mexican rice.
Technically, yes. However, this will not develop a strong shrimp flavor, and the shrimp might be rubbery. Add them at the very end and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until warm.
🍲 More Soup Recipes You’d Like
- Caldo de Pescado (Mexican Fish Soup)
- Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
- Sopa de Conchas (Shell Pasta Soup)
- Caldo de Albondigas (Meatball Soup)
- Caldo de Verduras (Mexican Vegetable Soup)
Caldo de Camarón is a hearty and flavorful Mexican Shrimp Soup that’s perfect for seafood lovers. With its rich broth and fresh ingredients, it’s the kind of recipe you’ll want to make again and again. Enjoy it on a cool evening or whenever you’re craving a taste of the sea in a comforting bowl.
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Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
Caldo de Camarón (Mexican Shrimp Soup)
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
Video
Notes
This depends on your blender. If you have a blender that blends everything clean, then it will be unnecessary to strain. Pro Tip: You can make the guajillo sauce ahead of time. Instead of the bouillon + water: swap out for shrimp broth, fish broth, or vegetable broth. How to Make Homemade Shrimp Broth:
- 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.
- Discard shells, onion, and garlic before using the broth.
Do you have a recommendation as to the shrimp size?
I think simmering the shrimp for 10 minutes will not do much for its texture (rubbery?): I would suggest a couple of minutes or until they turn opaque.
Another suggestion: include, when possible, measurable amounts; potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic etc are neither volume nor weights; ( One large russet potato weighs roughly 1-lb. One medium russet potato weighs about 1/2-lb. One small russet potato weighs close to 1/3-lb) Which do you refer to?
Now, 1 cup of 1/2-inch-diced (or cubed) russet potatoes (for example) gives a value that not only eliminate guessing, but also help with the suggested cooking times (a 3/8-inch diced veggie will cook faster than a 1/2″-inch diced one)
I will try this recipe and rate it soon. Unlike some commenters, I am not able to judge something I haven’t made
Yes, I left a section here talking about size of shrimp. I always think about the end in mind. It’s a soup and the ingredients should fit on a spoon. So, really big jumbo size shrimp are not necessary. I used large size shrimp to make the Caldo de Camaron.
Also, some people get excited about the recipe and will rate it before trying it, but a large majority of people regularly make and rate my recipes.