These days, I’ve been on a real kick of eating stews and soup finding ways to use an acorn squash as a bowl. Truth be told, what I love most about Fall (next to the changing leaves, of course) is that the grocery stores become inundated with squash of all varieties. I LOVE SQUASH! So lately, it can only be expected that I’ve been squashing my husband out with entrees that are ultimately squashcentric. But! Since he hasn’t complained –yet– I keep going.
A quick plug for acorn squash – If you’re a calorie counter (I’m not) acorn squash can be a bit off-putting on paper, but when you consider the dietary fiber (one serving is 36% of your daily value) and the vitamins and minerals (it’s a great source of vitamin C, potassium, and manganese), it’s hard to resist this little nugget of goodness. At least that’s the argument I keep using with my husband.
So the night was forecast to be a bit chilly and I took advantage with this hearty, subtly spicy, somewhat sweet shrimp and roasted corn chowder. In my laziness, I didn’t want to go outside and turn on the grill, so I chose to roast my corn over the gas burners on my stove top. You can do the same on your stove top or in your broiler if you keep a close watch. If you’re feeling super lazy or you’re in a rush for a quick soup fix, you can use frozen corn.
Also, I choose to cook my shrimp separately, rather than to boil it in the soup. It’s a matter of preference, but I like the texture of broiled shrimp to the texture of boiled shrimp. Below are the directions on how to broil it, but alternatively, you may choose to just throw it in the pot during the last 5 minutes of simmering the soup.
Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder (in an acorn squash bowl!)
Yield: 4 servings
Level: Easy!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 2 c. small red new potatoes, cut into 1″ cubes
- 2 cobs of corn, roasted and cut from cob*
- 2 links andouille sausage, diced
- 1 lb. shrimp, deveined and peeled
- 4 c. vegetable broth
- 3 c. 1% milk
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- pinch, cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp. butter
- 2 tsp. maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 acorn squash, for serving
- Optional: crusty bread
* If roasting your own corn, brush lightly with olive oil, then place over direct (medium) heat making sure to turn cob regularly. When corn is somewhat browned on all sides, remove from heat. Use sturdy knife to cut kernels from cob. Set aside.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the acorn squash in half and take the seeds out using a spoon; discard seeds. Score the inside of the acorn squash and drizzle maple syrup. Line a baking sheet with tin foil, then place the acorn squash cut-side down on the foil. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until soft (when the skin gets glossy and a darker green color, I usually pull it out).
While the squash is cooking, melt butter on medium-high heat in Dutch oven or large stock pot. Brown andouille sausage, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in onion, celery, garlic, corn and potatoes. Add thyme and bay leaves. Cook until onion becomes translucent, stirring occasionally 3-4 minutes. Stir in flour until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and milk, bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low to allow to simmer until squash has cooked thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste.
In a separate bowl, toss shrimp with paprika and cayenne pepper. Place shrimp in single layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Once squash has finished cooking, remove from the oven to cool and turn oven to broil. Place shrimp under broiler until pink and opaque, 4 to 5 minutes turning halfway through. Once cooked, add shrimp to soup.
Slice bottom of squash so that it may stand up on its own, making sure not to pierce into the hollowed out meat. Hollow out the inside of the acorn squash to make room for soup. Fill squash bowls with soup, serve with fresh crusty bread
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