Bev likes to make potato soup for either Christmas eve or the day before and she made up a big batch this year. As I’ve posted before, her soup is just potatoes, potato water, and dairy so it can easily be converted into something else. As it turns out, we had about a dozen raw and two grilled shrimp left from our Christmas day appetizer that needed to be used.
I cleaned and chopped the shrimp and added them to several dippers of the leftover soup, thinking it would likely require a little shrimp stock as well, brought it to a simmer, and turned it off with the lid on.
After an hour, I reheated it a little, added to a bowl, and topped with some chopped bacon and green onion. I sided it with some leftover cornbread sticks and it was very good - it needed no additional shrimp flavor.
I ate the remainder of it the next day and stirred in the bacon and green onion prior to nuking to reheat and I preferred it the first way.
Since the shrimp worked so well, I decided to try some from the piece of smoked salmon left over from making the salmon spread for Christmas Day. Since it was already fully cooked, where the shrimp was raw, I expected less flavor from it, so I chopped it pretty small and added it to the soup. While it was good - it was smoked salmon and potato soup afterall - I preferred the shrimp and I think the salmon is better used otherwise - the salmon cakes Bev wanted for example.
We used the last of our potato soup for our New Year's Eve supper then proceeded to our elaborate evening's celebration. We built our first winter fire, put on some old music, ate some cheese fondue, sipped a little champaigne and went to bed around 11pm. I figure this day has rolled around something over 4 billion times, so I was confident it could happen once again without me as a witness - boy what an ole stick-in-the-mud.
All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.
One year ago: New Years Day At Almost Heaven South
Two years ago: Fried Crappie - Last Meal Of The Decade
Larry
12/27/11 & 12/29 meal dates
I cleaned and chopped the shrimp and added them to several dippers of the leftover soup, thinking it would likely require a little shrimp stock as well, brought it to a simmer, and turned it off with the lid on.
After an hour, I reheated it a little, added to a bowl, and topped with some chopped bacon and green onion. I sided it with some leftover cornbread sticks and it was very good - it needed no additional shrimp flavor.
Since the shrimp worked so well, I decided to try some from the piece of smoked salmon left over from making the salmon spread for Christmas Day. Since it was already fully cooked, where the shrimp was raw, I expected less flavor from it, so I chopped it pretty small and added it to the soup. While it was good - it was smoked salmon and potato soup afterall - I preferred the shrimp and I think the salmon is better used otherwise - the salmon cakes Bev wanted for example.
All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.
One year ago: New Years Day At Almost Heaven South
Two years ago: Fried Crappie - Last Meal Of The Decade
Larry
12/27/11 & 12/29 meal dates
Thanks for the reminder that potato soup makes a fabulous base from which to build other soups.
ReplyDeleteYour NY eve sounds delightful and my idea of how to spend a quiet evening together. We retired early after an evening out with friends by the pool and woke to the noise of fireworks and merrymaking at midnight. Another great start to a new year.
Sam
Such a simple idea, yet I tend to forget you can use potato soup as a base too! Love the idea of adding shrimp to it.
ReplyDeleteWe had our first winter fire on new year's too - it will probably be the only one we light as it's already back in the 80's :) Oh, well.. things could be so much worse!!
Happy New Year!!!
Well you made it later than us. I think I was in bed at 10:00. But I never miss the frivolity, as we have neighbors that always shoot off fireworks at midnight which causes the dogs to bark. I love potato soup and you just answered my "what's for dinner tonight" question.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to make the seafood soup this way. We love shrimp so that would be very easy to do. The salmon soup sounded good too, but if you think the shrimp was better then I'll stick with that. I love smoked salmon on little toasts with horseradish cream cheese and a drizzle of dill honey topped with capers and red onion. Happy New Year to you both!
ReplyDeleteRobin Sue
Perfect! I love clam and or seafood chowder. It is so tasty and with bacon crumbles, yum!
ReplyDeleteIt's been more than a few years since I have seen the clock strike 12 on NYE. Just call me an old fuddy-duddy. I like to add some dungeness crab meat to a hot bowl of potato soup along with a teaspoon of dry sherry and a pat of butter. There isn't a more versatile soup base than potato and cream.
ReplyDeleteLots of ways to make a hearty soup, isn't there??? I would love that potato soup --all by itself... YUM...
ReplyDeleteSnow here and 14 degrees when we got up... Brrrr.
Betsy
Larry, The soups both sound good! The bacon added a lot I'm sure... As for New Years Eve, you and Bev followed our usual routine, whereas we went out to a party for the first time in more than 20 years... I think I like staying home better! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
ReplyDeleteSomehow, a fire, cheese fondue, champagne and in bed by 11:00 sounds like the perfect New Years Eve to me. You and Bev had the right idea. Happy New Year Larry.
ReplyDeleteTwo great chowders, that is a flexible potato soup!
ReplyDeleteBoth soups sound lovely to me, Larry. It sounds like you ate well this holiday season. I hope you had a good Christmas and that the New Year brings only good things your way.
ReplyDeletePutting the shrimp in the potato soup was a brilliant idea and it looks so scrumptious with the bacon and green onion topping! I will definitely be trying it! Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteSure sounds good to me!
ReplyDelete