How to Make Caldo des Camarones

Caldo des Camarones is shrimp soup. This El Salvador-inspired dish is very festive, with red and green peppers, chilies, tomatoes and cilantro. You can serve Caldo des Camarones as a first course, followed by steak teriyaki kebabs over rice, with a huge pan of macaroni and cheese. Mexican wedding cookies and Italian cannoli round out the menu.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Large stock pot with lid
• Non stick cookie sheet
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 lb. peeled deveined shrimp, uncooked
• 2 large ripe tomatoes
• 4 jalapeno peppers
• 2 banana peppers
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 large onion
• 2 tsps. fresh chopped garlic
• 1 tbs. Paprika
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 4 cups chicken stock

Assemble Your Ingredients

1. Rinse tomatoes and peppers. Cut tops off the bell peppers and remove the seeds. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place peppers and tomatoes on cookie sheet.
2. Bake in oven at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes or until tomatoes begin to turn brown. Do not allow peppers to burn. Chop peppers and tomatoes. Toss into stock pot.
3. Add 4 cups chicken stock. Toss in peeled and deveined shrimp. Add remaining ingredients and put cover on pot. Bring to a rapid boil. Boil 10 minutes, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite main dish and appetizers.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to peel and devein the shrimp before use.
• If you use precooked shrimp, do not add it until ten minutes before serving the caldo.
• To make spicier caldo, use the seeds of the jalapeno peppers as well as the green parts. To make it milder, remove the seeds before chopping the peppers.
• Do not allow the peppers and tomatoes to burn.