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Caldo de Camarón is a delicious and flavorful Mexican soup. My grandmother made it during Lent, but you can make it all year long.
She had her own food during Lent – Pescado a la Verazcruzana, Camarones a la Diabla, 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, or Mexican Shrimp Soup, is a hearty soup full of shrimp and veggies. Usually made with yummy, comforting goodness and lots of love.
How to Make Caldo de Camaron
- Start by cleaning the guajillo chile.
- Then take off the stem.
More Mexican Soup Recipes: Caldo de Pollo, Caldo de Res, Sopa de Estrellitas
- Cut the guajillo chile open lengthwise with a pair of scissors.
- Do this to all the 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.
These are the same chiles we use to make Guajillo Sauce.
See the seeds inside? This retains heat as well as any veins.
Since I am not straining the sauce, it is important to remove and discard the seeds.
Place in a hot boiling water for 5 minutes, or until pliable.
Pro Tip: You can also place the chiles in cold water, but they will need to soak longer.
- Place the reconstituted chile in a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
To strain or not to strain?
This depends on your blender. If you have a blender that blends everything clean, then it will be unnecessary to strain.
If you see chunks of chile, strain for a smoother sauce.
If you are straining, strain the sauce then add it to the pot.
Note: You can even do this ahead of time and pull it out of the fridge or freezer when ready to use.
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, 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 water, onion, garlic, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil.
- Discard shells, onion, and garlic before using the broth.
Or, you can use fresh fish broth or vegetable broth.
Can you use cooked shrimp to make this soup?
Technically, yes. However, this will not develop a strong shrimp flavor.
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.
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 want a shrimp to fit your spoon. You don’t really need huge shrimp.
I used Large-sized shrimp in this recipe.
More Mexican Shrimp Recipes: Ceviche de Camarón, Camarones en Crema Chipotle, Aguachiles
How to properly thaw out shrimp:
The best way to thaw shrimp is overnight in the fridge.
How 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 will 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 Soup:
Calabacitas
Zucchini
Chayote
Cauliflower
Green beans
Broccoli
To make it spicier: thin slices of chile de arbol or pasilla chile.
How Long Does Caldo de Camaron Last?
- The soup can last up to 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Or, place in the freezer for 5-6 months.
It is hard being away from the people you love during Lent, special events, or the Holidays. 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!
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. 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.
Nutrition
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Wow, easy and delicious! Thanks for sharing looking forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Thank you! You’re going to love this recipe.
You should def make this n put on ur YOUTUBE 🙂
Cant wait to try this recipe
Do you strain the chile’s after the blender or do you just put the mix in with the little bits of dried chile?
Little bits of dried chile won’t hurt the dish. If you strain, I’d strain before adding to the pan.
U have to strain the Chile’s after u blend them
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.
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!
Awesome. Thank you! =D)
Can this recipe be converted somehow to make a siete mares type soup?
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!
You probably don’t even know how to cook Maggie
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
Thank you! It’s such a great soup. Caldo de Camaron is a favorite! I’ll have to try it with tomato sauce. 🙂
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.
Turned out so good maggie. So much flavor… everyone enjoyed it. Looking forward to new recipes..???
That makes me so happy!!! Glad you liked it.
Are frozen shrimp okay to use or are fresh better?
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.
Only 1 cube of bouillon right? Not the whole box ..?
If I decide to add calabacita do i add it at the same time as potatoes and carrots?
Hola, si no tengo cubito de camarón knorr, puedo usar un poquito de camarón molido?
Nunca lo he hecho asi. No tiene knorr regular de pollo o res?
I have made this so many times! We LOVE it!
That makes me so happy. We LOVE this soup too!