Creamy Leek and Potato Soup with Shrimp and Corn

Ingredients

• 4 thick slices bacon, diced
• 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
• 3 leeks, thinly sliced (white and pale green parts only)
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 red potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn
• ½ cup milk
• 18 large tiger shrimp
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Step 1

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it’s nicely browned, about 10 minutes. Once done, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, but keep about a tablespoon of the bacon grease in the pan. Add the leeks and celery to the skillet and cook them in the bacon grease over medium heat until the leeks soften, around 5 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and cook for another couple of minutes until it smells fragrant.

Step 2

Transfer the leek mixture to your slow cooker, along with the cooked bacon, potatoes, chicken broth, water, dried thyme, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Tie the fresh thyme sprigs together with some kitchen string and add them in as well. Set the slow cooker to high and let it cook for 4 hours. After that, stir in the corn and let it cook for an additional hour.

Step 3

Once that’s done, turn the slow cooker down to low, pour in the milk, and let it cook uncovered for about 30 to 40 minutes until the soup thickens a bit. While the soup is finishing up, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the shrimp just until they turn bright pink and aren’t translucent anymore—this should take about 3 minutes. Drain and let them cool slightly before peeling.

Step 4

Mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of water until smooth, then stir this into the soup and cook for a few more minutes until it thickens nicely. Finally, add the peeled shrimp and some fresh parsley, remove the thyme sprigs, and give the soup a taste. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed, and it’s ready to enjoy!