Shrimp stew is a chunky stew in a creamy sauce with bits of shrimp in every bite. This recipe packs a ton of flavor and is the easiest to make.

A chunky stew with seafood can have a ton of flavor. With shrimp being naturally low in fat I know the perfect recipe to make where almost every ingredient is good for you.
Shrimp stew has a creamy tomato based broth with chunks of potato, bell peppers, onion and herbs.
It’s a full meal with everything you need from meat to veggies and a little fat from the cream.
I made this recipe in under 45 minutes and 20 minutes went to simmering to cook the potatoes.
I’ll walk you step by step on how to make this shrimp stew with ease and help you deliver an amazing dinner to your kitchen table.
How To Make Shrimp Stew
Ingredients needed
- Shrimp
- Yellow onion
- Yellow bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Crushed tomatoes
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Heavy cream
- Balsamic vinegar
- Bay leaf

A few tips before starting the recipe
- Do not add the shrimp until the potatoes are cooked. Shrimp cook extremely fast. You only need 5 minutes for the shrimp but about 20 minutes for the potatoes.
- During the simmering time be sure to come back and stir the pot because the stew is hearty and has a thickness to it.
Making the shrimp stew
- To start, in a large pot or dutch oven on medium high heat add chopped bell peppers and onions. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Now, when the ingredients soften and the onions translucent add in the minced garlic. Then, when you start to smell the garlic cooking add in the diced potatoes and tomato paste. You may need to lower the heat to medium if you notice anything starting to burn. You can also add a little oil as well.
- After you’ve cooked the tomato paste for 15 seconds pour in the crushed tomatoes and the broth. Give everything a stir.
- Now, add in balsamic vinegar and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Check around 15 minutes to see if the potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork.
- Once the tomatoes are soft, add in the thawed raw shrimp and cover for 5 more minutes then turn off the heat. If using pre-cooked shrimp turn off the stove because the soup is done and the shrimp are already cooked.
- Once the shrimp are finished add in the heavy cream. Lastly, taste for salt and serve.

How long is shrimp stew good for
You can keep this stew in your refrigerator for up to 3 days. I wouldn’t recommend freezing it because of the separation and the texture change but you can freeze the soup for later. Simply understand the taste will be the same but the texture won’t.
Easy stew & seafood recipes to try
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Shrimp Stew
Ingredients
- oil for cooking
- salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound raw shrimp (sub with pre-cooked shrimp)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- To start, in a large pot or dutch oven on medium high heat add chopped bell peppers and onions. Season lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Now, when the ingredients soften and the onions translucent add in the minced garlic. Then, when you start to smell the garlic cooking add in the diced potatoes and tomato paste. You may need to lower the heat to medium if you notice anything starting to burn. You can also add a little oil as well.
- After you've cooked the tomato paste for 15 seconds pour in the crushed tomatoes and the broth. Give everything a stir.
- Now, add in balsamic vinegar and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes. Check around 15 minutes to see if the potatoes are soft enough to pierce with a fork.
- Once the tomatoes are soft, add in the thawed raw shrimp and cover for 5 more minutes then turn off the heat.
- If using pre-cooked shrimp turn off the stove after you add it in because the soup is done and the shrimp are already cooked.
- Once the shrimp are finished add in the heavy cream. Lastly, taste for salt, remove the bay leaves and serve.