Hearty and rich Shrimp and Bacon Chowder, this is keto soup is pure comfort food. Full of tender shrimp and topped with crisp bacon, this is a must for chilly evenings.
Soup season is here! And I for one plan to make the most of it with plenty of keto soups and stews. Which, by the way, happens to be the title of my fourth ketogenic cookbook and it’s officially ON SALE TODAY! And this easy Shrimp Chowder is a sneak peek recipe from the book.
Why yes, I am the crazy keto recipe lady who is cranking out the low carb cookbooks at an alarming rate. And I make no apologies for it.
This book, though. This book is a must have because we are entering comfort food season and this is ALL COMFORT FOOD, BABY! And I want you to know how much my family and I sacrificed for your comfort.
I was creating and testing keto soup recipes all through the spring and summer. Even when the mercury rose above 80 or 90 degrees, my family was eating soup for dinner. My kids would roll their eyes every day as I dished them up some hot liquid or other. I tried hard to keep the lighter, chilled soups for the summer but we did end up testing out some of the heartier ones as well. As much as we all love soup, we were not unhappy when I finally finished the manuscript.
But a few months have passed and the weather turned very chilly here last week. And now I myself am thumbing through my book, in search tasty warm comfort food.
You can’t go wrong with a shrimp chowder recipe full of bacon, cream, and a little cajun seasoning. Oh and some diced turnip in place of potatoes. Trust me, you won’t even notice that they aren’t the taters of your pre-keto soup days.
How to Make Keto Shrimp Chowder
Keto Soups and Stews
So what’s in this new cookbook of mine?
- More than 50 soup, stew and chili recipes. I admit to playing fast and loose with what counts as a stew or a soup, so I included some more exotic things like Lamb Curry, Pork Adobo, and Chicken Paprikash. They are all stewed meat recipes so I feel it’s legit. Are you going to argue with me? I thought not.
- Three recipes for homemade broth plus my recommendations on store bought versions. Homemade is always going to be the healthiest option but I realize that’s not always practical.
- A number of tasty Extras to go with your soup like Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks and Bacon Fat Biscuits.
- My best tips on how to make and store soups for meal planning.
- A section on Special Keto Substitutions for potatoes, rice, and noodles. So many great and healthy options.
- And if you happen to be Dairy-Free, you will be happy to know that a little over 50% of the book is dairy free or dairy free option. Heck, even this delicious shrimp and bacon chowder can be made dairy free, if you care to sub coconut milk in for the heavy whipping cream!
So what are you waiting for? Soups and Stews is officially on sale and you can grab your copy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. And I am told it should be out at Costco and Target very very soon!
Shrimp and bacon come together in a creamy, rich soup that only takes a few minutes to make. It’s weeknight comfort food! Keto recipe.
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1 medium turnip cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- Chopped parsley for garnish
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In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving the bacon fat in the pan.
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Add the turnip and onion to the pan and saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, another minute or so. Pour in the chicken broth and simmer until the turnip is tender, about 10 minutes.
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Stir in the cream and the shrimp and simmer until the shrimp is pink and cooked through, another 3 minutes or so. Add the Cajun seasoning and season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Garnish with the bacon and chopped parsley upon serving.
Tip: Some Cajun seasoning has a lot of added salt. Be sure to taste your soup after adding the seasoning, before you add any additional salt and pepper. Also make sure your seasoning has no added sugar or other fillers. We really like Slap Ya Mama seasoning blend. Yes, that’s really what it’s called!
Mary Sauers says
Thanks so much for the recipe–can’t wait to try it! But I think you meant 1 pound shrimp PEELED and deveined, LOL!
Carolyn says
Uh oh, what did I say? Better go check! The truth is that I imported this from my Word doc manuscript so it must have done something funky!
Faithe Ward says
I love your emails! I have your first recipe book. Is there a possibility of any of them being available as a digital pdf download? I hate having to wait for them to ship lol!
Carolyn says
All of my published books are available as Kindle editions. You don’t need a kindle to use them, just download the kindle app.
Jae Avenoso says
Perfect timing for a hearty bowl of chowder. I think “Soups & Stews” should arrive today. This might be the first recipe I try from it.
Patti says
This could be exactly what I’ve been looking for!! Do you think clams w their juice could be substituted for the shrimp? Would I gave to add a bit of xanthan gum to thicken it a bit? Thanks!!
Kris says
I’m anxiously awaiting my Amazon delivery today as this book is in the box!! Our family loves soups and stews during fall and winter, so I’m sure this book will be used a lot over the coming months! I already have all of your keto cookbooks and use them often.
Carolyn says
Thanks so much, Kris!
Susan says
I have a hard time understanding how the serving size work! If it’s all in s big pot how do you know how many shrimp to give each portion. Along with the turnip and once the bacon is crumbed. I know the carbs are low in the whole recipe. Should that be all I’m really concerned about. The ingredients being ok for diabetics in the whole thing?Thanks for your help in understanding portion size.
Carolyn says
To be honest, you just have to eyeball it. And yes, all of the ingredients are good for diabetics. I am one.
Susan says
Oh I just saw the 3/4 cup serving but still how do you proportion right so each bowl get the right amount to equal the carbs and protein?
Erica B says
Hi Susan, I suggest you count the number of shrimp in your pound before adding them to the pot, divide the total by 6 (the number of servings in the recipe), and make sure your 3/4 cup bowl of soup contains that proportionate number of shrimp. As for the turnip, bacon, and other ingredients…some things just can’t be counted exactly. I think every low-carber who enjoys soup has to come to terms with that reality at some point. It helps to remember that there is no such thing as 100% accurate carb counting. Even USDA-derived carb counts are not 100% accurate all the time. Some produce is less ripe than average, a little sweeter than average, et cetera, resulting in a slightly different composition vs the produce that was analyzed. We’re really only dealing with averages when we tabulate nutritional info.
Kim says
Sounds good, but a servng is only 3/4 cup? How does anyone only eat 3/4 cup of soup? Lol
Erica B says
So excited for this book! 😁 Waiting happily for my copy to arrive, hopefully today. I just adore soups and stews. Thanks Carolyn.
In this recipe, did you or your family find the turnip at all bitter or overwhelming to the other flavors? Turnips are usually very bitter to me, but I’ve only eaten them alone as a side dish, so not sure how they play as a soup component.
jackie m says
I just got done flipping/reading through your new book..Keto Soups & Stews and I love it!!! There are so many soups I want to try. In the winter I usually make a pot of soup a week, freeze one or two servings and that is my lunch or dinner each night. So many of these I will use. My old stand bys have to be rejigged to make keto and I am just too busy to do it right now. Thanks for all the work you did in this book, most of the recipes look like they will be really easy and quick to put together!
Carolyn says
Thanks so much, Jackie!
Amee says
We got your book in the mail yesterday. I love the photography, and the wonderful variety of soups and stews. I am one of those people that orders in a restaurant if the item I want is pictured on the menu LOL. Which means I want to make every single one of your soups!
Thank you so much for writing this cookbook, and you were right it was delivered to us at the perfect time. A special thank you to your family for doing the research during the hot months! 👍😄
Carolyn says
So happy to hear it. Enjoy!!!
Cheryl says
Made this tonight and it was so delicious! Even my set-in-his-ways shrimp scampi loving DH approved!
I made one substitution – I didn’t have turnip so used cauliflower instead.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Denise McGraw says
This looks amazing! And Slap Ya Mama is our go-to Cajun seasoning too!
Patti A says
Oh my gosh, this is wonderful! Had it tonight with biscuits and it was a hit! Even the hubs said he never would have known the turnip wasn’t potato! Thank you for your wonderful work for all of us!!! Happy Thanksgiving!
Carolyn says
Yay, I am so happy to hear it!
Mary says
I was excited about this recipe for the shrimp and bacon. However I did tweak it for our Keto needs- I added a dash of turmeric as I do to every soup I make and red Swiss Chard.
Carolyn says
I wish I liked Chard. I know it’s good for me but it’s like beets and it tastes like dirt to me.
Sharon Caudle says
You’ve done it again!!!! I know this was in your book, but I was at work yesterday and wanted to make it last night. So luckily I found you posted it on line. Thank you!! So I found the Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning at World Market and picked the rest of the ingredients that I needed on the way home from work. this was so easy to make and OMG I think I could eat this every single day!! Sooooo GOOD!!!! I did add celery in with the onions and turnip, cause I love celery with onion in my creamy soups. But this is nothing short of flat out amazing!! I’ll be making it for my besties next week and can’t wait for them to try it with me! Thank you for your amazing recipes!!!
Patricia says
Is there anything else you could use other than turnip?
Carolyn says
Rutabaga or daikon radish also work but turnip is the most potato like.
Marcee says
I used cauliflower rice and it turned out great!
Denise says
Delicious! Made this tonight. Turned out awesome.
Jenny says
Tried this tonite. Even my husband ate it and the kids. Ive juat started my keto diet. Im having to adjust everything i eat around everything they eat . ive been trying to figured meals that i can do. Soups are one of my favorite soups. Esp chowders!!! I cant believe how good this was!! I was worried about the turnips but honestly it was super yummy!!! Thanks so much for sharing it!!!
Cynthia Ingolia says
I made this tonight, and it was amazing! I used fresh Gulf Louisiana shrimp, which really make it special. It was quick, easy, and very tasty! Thank you!
Dana V says
This one is going in our regular rotation.It was so fast and easy. And delicious too!
The flavors are great. Thank you.
Maria says
Can I substitute turnip for cauliflower or something else?
Carolyn says
Sure but cauliflower needs to added much later, since it cooks faster.
andrea says
what would you suggest for a substitute for the cream…maybe canned coconut cream?
Carolyn says
Sure that should work, although it will have a slight coconut flavour.
Amy says
Can this be made in a crock pot or insta pot? My stove is on the fritz and I really want to try this soup!! Thanks Carolyn! You’re recipes are amazing.
Carolyn says
Yes but shrimp can get cooked over-easily in those pots so I would only add it close to the end.
Becky Millinger says
I made this for dinner last night. My husband raved about it! The side was cheesy biscuits from your recipes. I’ll be making this again!
Thanks for your great recipes
Martine Thelusma says
Can I make this in my slow cooker? Also what can I use to thicken it up a little bit?
Carolyn says
I haven’t tried this in a slow cooker. I don’t think it’s worth it, since it’s such a quick stovetop recipe.
Amanda says
Oh. My. This was AMAZING and taste like a chowder that you would order at a restaurant!! I’m excited to use the base for clams and fish as well! Thanks!!
Dan sheehan says
Best chowder my family has ever ate. The only thing we did different was to cup of fresh mushrooms and served it with Frank’s hot sauce.
Carolyn says
That’s lovely to hear!
Renee says
Great soup for a cold day. A bit rich so a little bowl will do.
Mandy says
Can u use something other than turnips? Not a fan of them…
Carolyn says
Sure, I just think it’s the best potato replacement. In soup, you honestly can’t tell the difference.
Lois says
I made this today. Turnips marginally different from potatoes. Try the turnips. Pretty yummy!
Claudine says
If you are doing dairy free what would you recommend instead of the half n half?
Carolyn says
Coconut milk!
Connie says
Very good!! I used cauliflower. It’s a keeper!!
Carmel Maldonado says
Hi, Carolyn.
I have your Keto Soups & Stews cookbook and saw this recipe in it. I knew immediately that I would absolutely LOVE it so I made a double batch tonight, my first time making it. Talk about trust! Haha
This soup is amazingly delicious! My husband and I both loved it so much. We did not have fresh parsley on hand so I used chopped fresh scallions and my homemade Cajun seasoning. I added a little cayenne to my bowl as well. The turnips were silky smooth and added an amazing mouth feel. Fabulous textures as well as flavors.
The perfect dinner after a 26 hour fast! 😋
I know what I am having for lunch tomorrow.
Thank you for all you do. I love your recipes so I have pinned this one and will add a review and photo on Pinterest.
Rachel says
How is this Keto with whipped cream??? Just cut out keto from the title and it would’ve been fine
Carolyn says
Hello Rachel… I don’t believe you know what you are talking about. It’s not whipped cream, it’s whipping cream… cream that has 35% milk fat and only about 6g carbs PER CUP. It’s not sweetened at all. You wouldn’t whip it before adding it to this recipe, you would add it in its liquid state.
Heavy cream like this is, was and always has been considered a keto ingredient.
Please also refer to the nutritional info in the recipe card for this soup. And tell me that with those numbers how is it NOT keto? Keto will stay in the title, thanks, because it is very much a keto recipe.
Lois Russell says
Who would even think for one second the sweetened whipped cream would go well in this spicy soup?
Carolyn says
Yes, well… 🙂
Kathy Cooke says
Very tasty! Added in a few stalks of diced celery with the onion and used homemade beef broth instead of chicken, since that’s what I had. I subbed daikon radish for the turnip and coconut cream for the heavy whipping cream. I had to simmer the daikon for around 20-25 minutes before it was tender. I just added the bacon pieces to the soup near the end. I don’t like spicy food, so I made my own Cajun seasoning using a recipe from Allrecipes and just left out the cayenne. Doubled the recipe to have lots of leftovers.
Lois Russell says
Thanks for the celery tip. I used some frozen crawfish tils instead of shrimp. The stronger flavor held up well against the Cajun spices and bacon.
Lori Rutledge says
I haven’t made yet but the recipe looks delish!! I am allergic to shellfish so would chicken be a good sub? If so, how much? Thanks so much!
Carolyn says
Sure, chicken is great. Takes longer to cook through but you can do it right in the chowder. I would add it in when you add in the broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Cut it up beforehand. Should easily cook through in simmering broth in about 10 min.
Lois Russell says
Try using the rotisserie chicken you can get in the deli. Bone and shred it. Saves cooking time
Lois Russell says
Looks delicious! I always enjoy reading your recipes, Carolyn. I’ll throw in a good splash of dry sherry just before serving. I also have a pack of crawfish tails in the freezer just dying to be used in something. This must be it! As a former 10 year resident of Cajun country in Louisiana, I can attest to the fact that “Slap Ya Mamma” is indeed a product. “Makes it taste so good, you gonna want to slap yo’ momma!” However, I’ve always used Tony C’s.
Carolyn says
Yum!
Lois Russell says
I made this today. Delicious! Turnips awesome dub for potatoes. Crawfish’s strong flavor stood up to bacon well. Maybe a bit thicker. Glucomanan (so?) or cream cheese? Carolyn’s suggestions appreciated.
Carolyn says
I’d do glucomannan whisked in at the end. About 1/2 tsp.
Claire says
My fiance and I LOVED this recipe! It will definitely be one we make frequently!
Olga says
I made this from the cookbook and wanted to leave a review here. It is fantastic! Super simple and very filling. When I make it next, I will also make your ranch cheddar biscuits to go with it.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!