This low carb Shrimp Chowder is hearty and satisfying. Full of tender shrimp and crisp bacon, it’s the perfect keto comfort food for a chilly evening. Ready in 30 minutes!
Soup season is here! And I for one plan to make the most of it with plenty of yummy, comforting keto soup recipes.
We’ve had a relatively warm fall so far, but now the chill and rain are setting in again. And I find myself thumbing through my book, Keto Soups and Stews, 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. I use them in other recipes like Keto Beef Stew and Keto Seafood Chowder, and you honestly can’t tell that they aren’t potatoes!
Why you will love this recipe
This shrimp chowder is a hit with almost everyone who tries it. Even my picky kids! It takes readily available ingredients and only 30 minutes to make, so it’s easy enough for a busy weeknight.
Even people who swear they detest turnip end up loving this recipe. Don’t believe me? Just read the reviews! Five stars almost across the board. Mind you, you can sub in other things like rutabaga, radish, or cauliflower instead.
And this creamy, rich soup has only 5.6g carbs per serving, so it’s a perfect meal for anyone following a keto or low carb diet.
Reader reviews
“This was easy and absolutely delicious. The whole family agrees that this is a keeper. We ended up adding Tabasco to our bowls to spice the soup up according to individual tastes, and the flavor combination was great.” — Alina
“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!!” — Amanda
“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!!!” — Patti A.
Ingredients you need
- Bacon: You can also use pancetta or even diced ham.
- Turnip: Turnips are a wonderful low carb substitute for potatoes in soups and stews. But you can also use chopped cauliflower, rutabaga or daikon radish.
- Heavy whipping cream: You can also use coconut cream, but it will add a slight coconut flavor to the soup.
- Shrimp: You can buy already peeled and deveined shrimp or do it yourself. Keep the tails on or off, depending on your preference. Any size shrimp works in this recipe. Just remember that small shrimp cook faster than large.
- Cajun seasoning: 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. We really like Slap Ya Mama seasoning blend.
- Fresh parsley: I like to garnish with a little bit of parsley. You can also use green onions.
- Kitchen staples: Chicken broth, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper
Step-by-step directions
- In a large pot 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.
- Add the chopped turnips and onion to the pan and sauté 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.
- 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.
- Garnish with the bacon and chopped parsley upon serving.
Expert tips
Shrimp cooks quickly and can turn rubbery when over cooked. That’s why you add it at the very end, when the turnip is tender. When the shrimps turns pink, you are ready to serve.
Some people prefer the chowder to be a little thicker. If so, I recommend adding 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon glucomannan. You can remove a little of the broth at the end, whisk in the konjac root powder, and stir it back into the pot of chowder.
For my readers who prefer theirs with more of a kick, serve with some of your favorite hot sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shrimp is an excellent choice for low carb or keto diets. It is full of protein and has 0.2g carbs per serving. It’s also remarkably easy to cook, making it perfect for healthy meals.
Classic shrimp chowder has a lot of carbs from the addition of flour and potatoes. However, this lightened up chowder recipe has only 5.6g of carbs and 0.6g of fiber per serving. That comes to 5g net carbs per 3/4 cup servig.
Leftover chowder can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this soup as cream based soups split and don’t reheat well.
What to serve with Shrimp Chowder
Keto Soups and Stews
Easy Shrimp Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 medium turnip, cut into ½-inch cubes
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups (473.18 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (236.59 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound (453.59 g) shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- ½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Garnish with the bacon and chopped parsley upon serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Just made this. Delicious. Used radishes. Very filling for a simple soup. Thanks.
Ps. Just downloaded your kindle book on soups.
So glad you liked it!
YUM! Easy and tasty chowder perfect for a cold day. I added about 1 tsp of fish sauce for extra depth of flavor. I also stirred in about tsp of xanthan gum for a slightly thicker sauce. Delicious!
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.
So glad you liked it!
My fiance and I LOVED this recipe! It will definitely be one we make frequently!
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.
Yum!
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.
I’d do glucomannan whisked in at the end. About 1/2 tsp.
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!
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.
Try using the rotisserie chicken you can get in the deli. Bone and shred it. Saves cooking time
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.
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.
How is this Keto with whipped cream??? Just cut out keto from the title and it would’ve been fine
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.
Who would even think for one second the sweetened whipped cream would go well in this spicy soup?
Yes, well… 🙂
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.
Very good!! I used cauliflower. It’s a keeper!!
If you are doing dairy free what would you recommend instead of the half n half?
Coconut milk!
Can u use something other than turnips? Not a fan of them…
Sure, I just think it’s the best potato replacement. In soup, you honestly can’t tell the difference.
I made this today. Turnips marginally different from potatoes. Try the turnips. Pretty yummy!
Great soup for a cold day. A bit rich so a little bowl will do.
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.
That’s lovely to hear!
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!!
Can I make this in my slow cooker? Also what can I use to thicken it up a little bit?
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.
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
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.
Yes but shrimp can get cooked over-easily in those pots so I would only add it close to the end.
what would you suggest for a substitute for the cream…maybe canned coconut cream?
Sure that should work, although it will have a slight coconut flavour.
Can I substitute turnip for cauliflower or something else?
Sure but cauliflower needs to added much later, since it cooks faster.