Shrimp and White Bean Stew makes wonderful and simple meal! Bean soups are always a hearty option to eat for dinner. I like to make extra to take for lunch the next day. You will find that this is an easy-to-make meal that you can whip up in 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with a salad and some warm bread to soak up all the delicious broth.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin
- 1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed*
- 1 (14-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, dried
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly-ground
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 fish-flavored bouillon cube
- 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- Hot pepper sauce to taste
- 1 pound medium shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined**
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley, finely-chopped
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In a large heavy soup pot over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic; saute until soft but not browned. Stir in cannelloni beans, tomatoes, rosemary, and pepper.
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In a small bowl, combine the hot water and the bouillon cube; stir until well combined and then pour into soup mixture. Add clam juice, white wine, and hot pepper sauce to taste (be careful - remember you can always add more hot pepper sauce, but you can not take it out).
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Bring soup just to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer approximately 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
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Just before serving time, add the uncooked shrimp; simmer approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque in center (cut to test). Stir in parsley.
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Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls.
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Makes 4 servings.
* Canelllini beans are white kidney beans. If you prefer, you can substitute Great Northern Beans.
** 1 pound of raw shrimp in their shells = about 1/2 pound peeled and cooked shrimp
Fresh shrimp is highly perishable and should ideally be eaten within 24 hours of purchase. Unless you live in the part of the country where you can actually buy "fresh" shrimp, it is best to buy frozen shrimp. Most shrimp in the grocery stores are frozen shrimp that has been thawed. The shelf like of thawed shrimp is only a couple of days, whereas shrimp stored in the freezer retain their quality for several weeks.
Fresh Shrimp: Avoid shrimp that smells of anything other than salt water. If there is any hint of the aroma of ammonia, it is a sign the shrimp is way past its prime. Truly fresh shrimp will have almost translucent flesh. Do not buy shrimp with black spots or rings (unless it's black tiger shrimp) as this indicates the meat is starting to break down. Also avoid pink meat.
Frozen Shrimp: If possible, AVOID shrimp that has been peeled and deveined before freezing. It can cause a loss of flavor and texture (shells will help to protect the meat of the shrimp and add more flavor to it).
Learn how to purchase, devein, brine, and cook shrimp.
Sources: I slightly adapted this recipe from Food & Wine magazine, January 1998. Recipe contributed by Jan Newberry.