I love this recipe…it’s pretty much comfort food for me. Growing up my mom would make it a few times a year but it wasn’t really a staple in our house because my dad didn’t care for this recipe. I’m sure it’s not authentic Shrimp Creole but this is my recipe for it.
It’s incredibly easy and makes for a quick weeknight meal as well which is always a good thing. In addition to that, most of the items used are a staple in our house so we usually have the ingredients on hand.
To start, you take an onion, some celery, and a bell pepper and dice it all up. Then you sauté it in some olive oil with some garlic. Pretty easy.
Next you add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, water, wine and the seasonings. You can substitute broth for the wine if you prefer; I’ve tried this recipe using chicken broth and it was good. I do prefer adding the wine if possible, it definitely creates a better flavor. As far as the chili powder, my mom and I use about a full tablespoon of chili powder in this recipe whereas the original recipe from my grandma only calls for 1/4 to 1 Teaspoon; I would recommend start with a little and adjusting for your personal taste, especially if you’re cooking for kids. Also season with salt and pepper.
Mmmmm…chili powder. I absolutely love chili powder. It smells amazing, is such a rich color, and adds great flavor.
Mix well and bring to a boil for a few minutes then reduce heat to a simmer. While this is simmering, prepare the shrimp. I usually use frozen deveined shrimp so I have to defrost, peel, and remove the tails. Once the shrimp is ready and you’re almost ready to serve, add the shrimp for about 6-8 minutes of until cooked through. If you add the shrimp to early they will overcook and become chewy so make sure not to add them too soon.
This tastes amazing over lemon rice or served with crusty bread and it’s sure to warm you up on a cold winter’s night.
Shrimp Creole
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes
- 3/4 cup Dry White Wine
- 1 lb Shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Chili Powder my grandma's recipe calls for 1/4 to 1 teaspoon, my mom and I use a full tablespoon
- Salt and Pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
- Drizzle olive oil into a large pan and heat until hot. Add the fresh veggies and cook down for a few minutes (3-5 minutes).
- Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Thin the tomato sauce with about 1/2 cup water. Add the wine and stir well.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the chili powder. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Add the peeled and deveined shrimp and shimmer until cooked through (5-7 minutes).
- Serve over rice or with crusty bread.
Recipe Notes
Broth (chicken or vegetable) can be substituted for the wine. The purpose of the wine is to thin the sauce some. It's better with the wine but I've used chicken broth when I didn't have any wine on hand and it turns out ok (I would definitely use wine if it's available though).