Chilled Southwestern Corn and Shrimp Chowder
It’s 7 am and I just drank 100 grams of glucose. For the next 3 hours I will be poked and prodded as I complete the glucose tolerance test. Not my idea of how I want to spend any morning. I am sitting in a small doctors office that they are allowing me to use as I wait for my next blood test. Exhausted, unable to eat and completely grossed out from the pure sugary drink I had to down, all I can do is whine to my husband who so graciously came to sit here with me. “I just want to go hooooooome” I say in my most whiny voice possible. He replies by drawing figures on his finger tips and putting on a puppet show above my computer screen. “I feel nauseousssssssss” is the next thing out of my mouth and is replied to with; “I can get you a bed to lay down in for the next hour.” I ask if we can just pretend I have gestational diabetes and I’ll just eat healthy and we can go home and skip the rest of this test. Then I can crawl back into bed where I belong. That just gets a laugh.
The baby is literally bouncing off my stomach in a crazed sugar rush. The first she will experience but not remember. I feel her going back and forth as if she were an olympic swimmer, flipping and propelling herself off the pool wall for her next lap. Surely by the days’ end the obscene amount of glucose in my system will wear off and she will crash, as will I and I won’t feel the slightest of movements.
Only 35 minutes till the last blood test and I am free. It has taken 3 hours to write this with all the whining and complaining I have been doing. Hey, we all have our moments and this is one of mine. I’m pregnant, I get a break. It’s the hormones. My father always used to say when I was a crabby pubescent teen that he hopes he is out of the country when I’m pregnant. He must have been foreseeing moments like these and in the back of his mind and is happy I’m all the way in Israel. However, my poor husband who is just trying to keep me company so I’m not sitting here miserable and alone is on the receiving end of my crabby mood, just trying to study for the step 1 (USMLE). At this point he has put headphones on as to drown out my heavy overly dramatic sighs. Whatever. He still can’t escape the looks I am giving him whenever he glances up from his textbook. Sometimes I think he deserves an award for putting up with me. Or a big hug. Or some really yummy food.
My husband favors light meals and with the blazing heat of summer so do I. Both big soup lovers we put off eating it until the weather cools down, which here is only a few short months out of the year. Besides being way too hot to eat, cooking a pot of soup anywhere between the months of May through November is pretty much out of the question. Soup lover or not, I’m not standing over a hot stove in 105F weather.
Last year I made a A curried ginger and chili mango soup, which turned me on to cold soups. However, for some reason, it wasn’t until recently that I made another chilled summer soup. This soup is bursting with summer flavors like corn, coconut milk and shrimp and with a southwestern twist of chili powder, avocados and sour cream to thicken it, you can’t go wrong. No hot stove to slave over, easy to put together and with having to chill, this is a perfect make ahead soup for parties. Forgo the typical crusty bread you would eat with soup and pair this with warm flour tortillas for dipping. Tasty, elegant and perfect for summer.
| Chilled Southwestern Corn and Shrimp Chowder |
- 6 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 cup sour cream, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder, plus more for garnish
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 1 lb shrimp, cooked and cut into large chunks, leave 6 whole for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 avocado, cut into chunks
- In a large bowl combine corn, coconut milk, sour cream and spices.
- Ina blender puree mixture, in batches, together until desired consistency is reached.
- Return blended soup to a mixing bowl and add chopped shrimp and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, ladle soup into 6 bowls and top with avocado chunks, whole shrimp, a small dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with chili powder.
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That both looks and sounds so good!!
Thanks Yael. It is super delicious and perfect for these hot Israeli summer days.
Well I hope you sailed through all of your tests. That does not sound like a fun day at all. However, at least you have some tasty soup to forget about all of that. The broth in this sounds like a tasty mix and the shrimp is perfect for it. Delicious post!
Thanks Tina!! A day of blood tests is never fun! But, delicious food is always a good thing to take your mind off of anything!
A beautifully healthy, well presented and obviously delicious soup my friend
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Thank you so much! You cant beat something that is healthy and delicious, not to mention super easy to put together!
All these tests during pregnancy bothers sometime but they are important and I believe everything went well.
Just checked your other soup recipe and I am loving these cold soups. Have to try some shrimp as well.
Yes, the tests are so important! They just drive me crazy sometimes!!
This and the curried mango soup are the only cold soups I have made. I really need to start making more. I just love them in this hot weather.
This does sound delicious and I love that you used cocount milk. I have come to find out how really versatile coconut milk can be. Love the phtotos. Hope you are feeling better that sounds like a dreadful day.
Thanks Suzi! Coconut milk is the greatest!! It really is so versatile and gives recipes such a great flavor.
I hated that test too, and I wasn’t pregnant! Glad it’s over for you both or all three of you.
This soup looks wonderful and I’m going to save it for when it’s hot. It’s winter here and I’m in sweat pants and a long sleeved shirt AND shoes!
Thanks Maureen! Oh how I wish I could wear sweats right now. It is too hot even for shorts. Thank goodness for air conditioners!!
Soup looks amazing. Love your story. Hope all is well by now.
Aw thanks Anne! I survived the test and so did my husband (barely lol)
I hope you cleared all those tests! The soup looks so delicious and one I want to come home to! Love that you used coconut milk. Stunning clicks as usual.
Thank you so much!! It is such a perfect soup for summer. Im wishing I had more left over to have some for lunch today!
My other half also prefer light meal and this is one he will definitely love very much. 3 hours to write the post is better than me who sometimes can stare at the screen for longer time, thinking how I should start my recipe.
The bowl of chowder is perfect and we need some toasted bread to dig into.
This is a perfect light meal that is also so satisfying! So if your husband favors light meals he will for sure enjoy this one!
Those glucose tests were the always the worst part of the prenatal for me.. I hate needles! Your soup looks yummy! Have a fabulous day!
The needles are terrible. However, that glucose drink was just the worse!!
The chowder looks wonderful.
Thanks Joy!!
i couldn’t STAND the glucose test; i had to do the 3-hour one too, and i had the worst time with it. you’re right; that liquid is beyond disgusting, and then you feel fluttery and weird and jittery and the whole bit. I passed it, but you almost wish after all that you hadn’t done it for nothing.
this soup looks like the perfect remedy for an over-glucosed, exhausted body. i love the coconut milk with the southwest spin; i’ve never thought to do that, but it sounds delicious. this is totally going on my to-do list.
The soup is totally comforting after having to sit an be poked with needles after that horrid drink!! Worst test ever, no?
I love the sound of this chilled soup, no cooking has got to be good. I just got back from a runwith the dog, started at 8 am but it is still too hot, have to start getting up earlier, but I can’t!! That was in my best whiny voice. What is that horrid test for? Sorry to be dim but I’ve never been pregnant, it sounds hideous! The test I mean not being pregnant!! ;D
My husband wakes up at 530am to run! Any later and its just way too hot. Nighttime is even out of the question! It is just way too hot this time of year! I didnt know anything about these prenatal tests until I got pregnant so no worries!! It is a horrid test, but being pregnant has been great, so far!
Oh & congrats on Top 9 too !!
Thanks! I didn’t even know this soup made the top 9 until I saw your comment!!
Ugh, I hated those glucose tolerance tests, too…I missed my breakfast! You have such a sweet hubby…so nice he came along for distraction. And I agree with you both about light meals in the heat of summer. Your chowder looks magnificent!
PS…I’ve told my hubby I have to go back to Paris without the kids for a better foodie and shopping experience…though we did sample all sorts of fabulous dishes!
Thanks Liz! I agree, hubby is pretty great to come sit with me. Hope you get back to Paris without the kids! Though I’m sure you had a fabulous time it is such a romantic and delicious city to enjoy with just your husband.
Anyhow..chowder look really tasty Beth! I love the simplicity yet flavors are very well combined.
Enjoy sweetie in your pregnancy!
It’s the worst test ever! Blech! And, yes I totally get whining rights during pregnancy!
Those glucose tests are yucky! But this soup looks extremely tasty! Congrats on the Top 9!
Thanks Shawn! Its always such a nice surprise to be in the top 9!
This does sound and look good:) Love the use of coconut milk. A perfect soup for a hot summer day. Thanks for the post -can’t wait to try this soup.
Thanks Geraldine! I do hope you try it. It’s such a lovely and delicious summer soup. Not to mention super easy to put together.
Whining during pregnancy is completely allowable! Hope the test went well. This soup looks like a fantastic reward. It looks great for summer!
Yes, if Im going to carry a baby for 9 months I am sooo allowed to whine
I so enjoyed your writing and had to chuckle about what your Dad said about being out of the country…I hope your tests turned out well.
Beautiful looking/sounding soup. The consistency looks so good and love the garnishes on it. My kinda soup and will have to give it a try. Have a nice rest of the week – hopefully no more tests!
Thanks Christina! Im glad you enjoy the blog posts. I never thought it was funny when my dad used to say that until now when I see some of the looks on my husbands face when Im giving him a really hard time!! He’s been such a great trooper.
This looks so yummy!
And I love how you wrote this post while in the doctor’s office! Hope everything went well with the tests!
Thanks Stephanie! I had to do something with my time! And, if I couldn’t eat I may as well write about food!
I wasn’t real sure I’d like the chowder, ’till I saw coconut milk in the ingredients. Awesome recipe- thanks for sharing, and congrats on making FoodBuzz’s Top Nine!
Wow, Beth- I’ve read about the places you mention in your blog, but you’re actually LIVIng there- very cool
Blessings,
Jen
Thanks Jennifer. The coconut milk gives the soup a great flavor and lightness. Super delicious!
I never thought I would be living somewhere like Israel. It always seemed like such a far away land from history. I have to say living here and having so much history around is pretty amazing. The novelty of floating in the dead sea or walking the old city of Jerusalem still has not worn off and I don’t know if it ever will!
Oh I remember those pregnancy tests! This one was tough one… So funny your father foresee how you would be like when you are pregnant, even when you were a teen! This chilled chowder looks really good. 105!!! That’s way too hot.. today was 78F with strong sun, and I thought I need to stay inside. LOL. I need to check out this recipe!
78F is PERFECT! I wish it were like that in Beer Sheva. I am back in the states now and yesterday was in the high 60s and I had to wear a light jacket. Guess my blood has thinned out living in the desert the past 2 years!
Fantastic chowder recipe. It appears that there’s the perfect amount of ‘kick’ to this one, balanced nicely by the sweetness of the corn. Always a treat!
I love Chowder!!!!! The best I had was very creamy, new england clam chowder soup, and I find it very hard to have any where I live! This recipe sounds stunning, I have never thought of pairing coconut with avocado, definitely will have to try this!
!
I too had glucose intolerance tests done once… It’s like you’re having sugar for the whole week or so, not pleasant