SOUPER SATURDAY

This recipe has all of my favorite things in one soup. It is a thick and hearty soup, perfect for cold weather. It comes from the current edition of FOOD NETWORK MAGAZINE.

SHRIMP AND CORN CHOWDER
2 tsp. unsalted butter
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
2 bunches scallions, chopped
3 c. frozen diced potatoes
3 c. frozen corn
3 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 qt. low-fat milk
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Paprika, for sprinkling

Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the celery, scallions, potatoes, and corn.Add the thyme, bay leaves, 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in the milk, then cover and bring to a boil. Uncover, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
Transfer 1/3 of the mixture to a blender and puree until smooth, then return to the pot. Return to simmer over medium-high heat. Stir in the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 4 minutes. Season with salt. If the soup is too thick, stir in up to 1 cup of water. Divide among bowl and sprinkle with paprika.