Rich and robust this Shrimp Stew Recipe gets a blast of flavor from it’s brick red broth flavored with bell peppers, tomato paste and white wine. Red chile powder brings a kick of spice, and that’s just the beginning of a very memorable meal.
When it comes to shrimp comfort food, I usually go for Easy Gumbo Recipes, but I wanted to find a shrimp stew recipe with a different flavor profile. One that reflected the flavors of the Rocky Mountain West to share with my readers.
I was browsing my Denver Junior League Colorado Colore Cookbook and ran across this recipe for Shrimp Stew. At the top of the page I had written “VERY good” with the “very” double underlined. I knew I had to make it again and share the recipe with you.
Besides being delicious, look at that vivid brick red color from the tomato paste and chile powder. Looks beautiful sitting on that bed of fluffy white rice doesn’t it?
This is one of those dishes that smells so good while it’s cooking, that it drives you wild.
And the flavor? It’s loaded! Sweet onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic and a great lineup of spices.
The shrimp is flavored in a short marinade of lime, garlic, Mexican oregano and cumin.
The combination of the marinated shrimp and the lively broth all comes together for one delicious Shrimp Stew dinner.
Let’s take a look:
Table of contents
Shrimp Stew, The Ingredients
For The Shrimp Marinade
- ¾ pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails removed.
- Lime: for juice
- Garlic
- Spices: Cumin, Mexican oregano, salt and pepper.
For The Shrimp Stew
- Chopped Garlic
- Red and Green Bell Pepper
- Celery
- White Wine: Choose a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. I like to keep little bottles on hand for cooking. Your local liquor store will have several brands available. Use chicken broth is you don’t want to use wine.
- Cilantro
- Tomato Paste
- Sweet Onion
- Neutral Oil: Canola or Vegetable oil work well here.
- Bay Leaf
- Worcestershire Sauce: Just as fish sauce is to Asian cuisine, Worcestershire sauce amplifies the flavor and character of any Western style stew recipe.
- Spices: Cumin powder, Mexican oregano, red chile powder (New Mexico is preferred), salt, pepper. A good pinch of red pepper flakes are a good substitute for the red chile powder.
Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It’s peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don’t have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy!
Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you away. Once you’re done dicing and slicing, this shrimp stew recipe comes together in flash.
- Step 1: Combine the lime juice, garlic, oregano and cumin in a bowl and mix well. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Step 2: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, peppers and celery for about 5 minutes, stirring often or until vegetables are starting to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Add cilantro, chile powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and bay leaf and stir until well blended. Cook for 1 minute.
- Step 4: Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
Chef’s Secret: Tomato paste is an MVP in the kitchen. The long cooking time used to make tomato paste gives it a concentrated sweet rich flavor. Just a dollop can add a subtle burst of robust flavor and body into just about any soup or tomato based pasta sauce. Add tomato paste at the beginning of the cooking process to add another layer of flavor. It’s a brilliant little trick.
- Step 5: Add the wine and water to the vegetable mixture and mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
- Step 6: Stir in the undrained marinated shrimp. Simmer for 5 – 6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally.
- Step 7: Discard the bay leaves. Stir in Worcestershire sauce. Ladle the stew into a serving bowl over cooked white rice. Garnish with slices of jalapeno pepper or more chopped cilantro.
Yes. Every ingredient in this recipe is clean eating and naturally gluten free.
Tips for Success
- Thaw The Shrimp Properly: Here in land-locked Colorado, I exclusively purchase frozen shrimp. If you buy it “fresh” from the seafood counter, odds are it was previously frozen anyway. Thaw shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. If you forgot to do that, place shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them until they’re thawed.
- How Do You Know When Shrimp Is Cooked? Shrimp cooks quite quickly. The shrimp should turn from a gray color to opaque pink. Eye the thickest part of the shrimp to make your decision.
What To Serve With Shrimp Stew
Hearty with vegetables, this is a meal in itself, but a simple tossed salad with Red Wine Vinegar Dressing is a good match. It’s sweet and tart flavor pairs well with robust flavors in this stew. And my Cornbread Recipe With Creamed Corn is always a good choice for any soup or stew.
More Popular Stew Recipes
One of our favorite stew recipes to make here On The Ranch is this hearty Green Chile Stew with pork. Here are some stew recipes more to take a look at.
And don’t miss one of our favorites, a classic Jacques Pepin Red Wine Beef Stew. A recipe everyone should learn how to make. It’s a classic.
I consider soups and stews to be my specialty, so don’t miss my category for Soup Recipes. You’ll find lots of great recipes including the most popular on my site for Anthony Bourdain’s New Mexico Chili.
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Rocky Mountain Style Shrimp Stew
Ingredients
- For The Shrimp:
- 1 ½ Tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¾ pounds shrimp large, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- For The Shrimp Stew:
- 1 ½ Tablespoons neutral oil canola or vegetable oil work well here
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped, about 1 cup
- 1 green bell pepper thin sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thin sliced
- 2 stalks celery thick sliced
- 2 Tablespoons cilantro minced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ¼ teaspoon New Mexico Red Chile Powder or cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 leaves bay
- ⅓ Cup tomato paste
- ¾ Cups dry white wine
- ½ Cup water
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 Tablespoons cilantro chopped, for topping
Instructions
- For the shrimp: Combine the lime juice, garlic, oregano and cumin in a bowl and mix well. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.
- For the stew: Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Saute the onions, peppers and celery for about 5 minutes, stirring often or until vegetables are starting to soften. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add cilantro, chile powder, oregano, cumin, salt, pepper and bay leaf and stir until well blended. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the wine and water to the vegetable mixture and mix well. Simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring frequently.
- Cover and let simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the undrained marinated shrimp. Simmer for 5 – 6 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring occasionally.
- Discard the bay leaves. Stir in Worcestershire sauce. Ladle the stew into a serving bowl over cooked white rice. Garnish with slices of jalapeno pepper or more chopped cilantro.
Notes
-
- Thaw The Shrimp Properly: Here in land-locked Colorado, I exclusively purchase frozen shrimp. If you buy it “fresh” from the seafood counter, odds are it was previously frozen anyway. Thaw shrimp in the refrigerator overnight. If you forgot to do that, place shrimp in a colander and run cold water over them until they’re thawed.
-
- How Do You Know When Shrimp Is Cooked? Shrimp cooks quite quickly. The shrimp should turn from a gray color to opaque pink. Eye the thickest part of the shrimp to make your decision.
- White Wine: Choose a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay. I like to keep little bottles on hand for cooking. Your local liquor store will have several brands available. Use chicken broth is you don’t want to use wine.
Nutrition
Shrimp Stew …It’s What’s for Dinner.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
Such wonderful ingredients–I imagine it was very hard to wait for it to finish cooking but well worth it! 😉 Thanks for sharing it with Souper Sundays this week–it is always great to have you.
My husband would love this. Think I’ll pass it along to him to make on one of the nights he cooks. LOL. It would be a treat for me too.
I think that sounds like a WONderful idea Penny. 😉 As always thanks for stopping by and the comment.
I find recipes marked like that too…always wonder when I made them! 🙂
Long list of ingredients, but the recipe sure packs a punch and looks delish.
It is a long list of ingredients, but really an easy dish to make. I’m glad someone else forgets making recipes. sheesh. 🙂
Oh yum. I adore shrimp in soups. This looks delicious and you are right, gorgeous with the rice.
Thanks Karen, this is a good one, and I can’t imagine using anything but shrimp for this recipe.
I love all of the great flavors going on in this stew! The curried cauliflower below also got my attention. I love cauliflower too!
Thanks Susan. Always good to hear from you. I’m a big cauliflower fan. I can eat it raw, and of course love it in a creamy scalloped version. ok, now I’m officially hungry. 🙂
Great looking recipe. Love Cuban food. I’ve been making a weekly shrimp dish lately (usually something vaguely Italian) and this sure looks like a candidate for next week. Thanks!
Thanks Dave! We really liked this one. I really don’t know much about Cuban Food. I only know of one restaurant here in Denver. Need to pay them a visit. As always, good to hear from you.
Breakfast!
I had it for breakfast the next morning. 🙂
Wow! This sounds great Lea Ann. I love these flavors as I know you do too. A great contribution to your Souper Sunday feature!
Thanks Toni!
Oh Yum! All those spices and flavors!!! I bet it was absolutely amazing!!
It was really good. I just can’t believe I can’t remember making it. I’ve only had that cookbook for a few years. Too funny.
It looks super good Lea Ann and as a fan of Cuban food, we’ll have to try it. There is a real Cuban hole-in-the-wall place in Maryville that is a favorite when we are in town for lunch and I like the flavors they serve.
I don’t know much about Cuban food to know if I’m a fan or not. We only have one Cuban restaurant here in Denver. Need to go.
What a great stew! It sounds like it’s full of such comforting delicoius flavors.
Thanks Joanne! It is full of comforting delicious flavors. And with all those spices…yum. I think this would be great as a vegatarian dish also.
a flavor packed bowl of goodness. Yum~ and over rice, even better!! I am loving all you recent posts. I have been traveling and so relaxing to head over to read/comment on all your fab plates, glad you love the press. enjoy!!
I knew you had run off to New York. Welcome back, I hope you post about your trip.
Oh wow, sounds awesome. I love the Cuban flavors!!
Obviously I just found out I do too! Looking forward to Portland.
Yum! I love all the vivid spices in this and I am crazy for stew with wine in it. It gives it that certain something that is so pleasing to my palate. VERY Nice dish. 🙂
Thanks Vickie! You’ve got to try this one. Again, once you’re done chopping the rest is smooth sailing. And I agree about wine, seems to make things just right.
What a great meal! I love these flavors, and I wish this was bubbling away in my kitchen right now.
Thanks Lisa. If it ever does bubble away in your kitchen, I’ll be anxious to hear how you liked it.