Skinny Southern Shrimp Soup

Skinny Southern Shrimp Soup!

Skinny..... Check! Southern.......okra and creole seasoning.....Check!, wild fresh pink shrimp....Check!........We are on our way to a most flavorful soup with NO GUILT!

First of all, humor me for a moment, Steve is my husband and he is a very structured and predictable natured person.  We have been married for 26 years, and to this day, from day 1, he loves to sit at the island with his computer with a glass of  Beer or wine, water,  or coffee depending on the time of day.....and talk to me while I prepare our meals.  We chat and visit, and love and cherish every minute.

Sometimes when I walk through life, different moments bring me to a place and a time while I am cooking. I was making a dish from Italy that we both love. My husband was reading an article while I was cooking.

 We were talking about travel through the USA.  He started to state a list he was reading about where you must go in the USA before you are done with your travel days.  I held my breath for a minute wondering.  Do you have your bucket list of our wonderful countries destinations that you have yet to visit?  I ask you to think about that.
 We both shared our wish list.  According to the list, we both have one place we are sure to need to visit, he has been to mine as a child and I to his as a younger me.  So, I told him I would show him all over New Orleans, and he promised to show me Yellowstone Park!  DEAL!

This sparked some Nola ideas for cooking for me, and here is my version of Shrimp Gumbo, gone SKINNY!  Let me know what you think!

Next stop.................New Orleans, LA or Yellow Stone..............we shall see, either way, it is on THE LIST!


Ingredients:

1c. chopped onion
3 T. minced garlic
1/2c. chopped carrots
1 whole green pepper chopped
1/2 c. chopped celery
1lb. shrimp, cleaned, with SHELL ON!
1 c. tomato sauce
1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes
32 oz. seafood stock
1 c. clam juice
1/2 c. white wine
2 T. olive oil
1 T. butter
1 small bag of "gumbo veggies"...Okra, carrots, corn, red peppers etc... ( 2 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste!
1t. thyme
2 bay leaves
1 t. basil
1 t. saffron
1/2 t. cayenne or to taste!  It can get hot so be careful,,you can always put this on the side or a hot sauce on the side too!
1t. creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning

In large pot add butter and olive oil on medium high heat.  Add in onions, celery, carrots, garlic and green pepper.  Saute until tender.
Add wine and deglaze the pan.  Add shrimp and cover with a lid until shrimp are all pink and cooked through. ( about 5 minutes).
Add tomato sauce, whole tomatoes, seafood stock, clam juice and simmer for 20 minutes.  Now add in bag of veggies, salt and pepper, thyme, bay leaves, saffron, cayenne and creole seasoning.   Heat for another 30 minutes on medium bringing all the flavors together.

Serve with a big chunk of a hot piece of a baguette!  Don't feel bad either,,this dish is so low in calories!!  Enjoy!

LOOK OUT NOLA!  I am bringing my husband to meet you!  We are going to show him all about your great food, like:  Muffalettas, Beignets, Gumbo, Etouffee, Po Boys,,,,,,,,,ETC..............!