Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Whether there is any truth in the saying, "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," it sure is apparent that old man winter is not finished with us here in the northeast. Ahhh, the sun is shining once again here in Pennsylvania, but it is still drearily cold. Winter Storm Quinn blanketed our region yesterday with almost a foot of snow, and as another nor'easter looms on the horizon, I can't help but think of warmer days to come. For now, I will just stay inside, think warm thoughts, and make soup- one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. This savory Cajun Seafood Chowder is the perfect recipe to keep you warm and snuggly on these chilly winter days.

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As I watched the snow pile up yesterday, I thought this to be the perfect opportunity to play around with our Cajun Seasoning and come up with a new recipe to share. I researched a bunch of cookbooks (remember those?) and recipes on the internet and stumbled upon this delicious chowder recipe, which I adapted from Closetcooking.com. The result was a tasty, hearty chowder, brimming with fresh seafood and vegetables, and smothered in creamy Cajun goodness. Soup for the soul. It was a huge hit with our family, and I guarantee yours will enjoy it too!

Thank you for visiting!

Ingredients

1/2 Tablespoon (Tbsp) butter
1/2 Tablespoon (Tbsp) oil (Having the two, helps prevent burning)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs Seasoning
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning Blend
4 cups chicken broth (homemade is always best) or vegetable broth
4 medium sweet potatoes (2 lbs.), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1 tablespoon (Tbsp) fish sauce
1 cup fresh corn (could substitute canned corn, drained)
2 tablespoons (Tbsp) fresh Tarragon, chopped, or dried Tarragon
Juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb. scallops
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) olive oil
1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning
1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional for garnish)
1/4 lb. cooked bacon, crumbled for garnish (optional) or 4 oz. diced andouille sausage for garnish (optional)
1 green onion, chopped (optional for garnish)

Preparation
In a medium pan or dutch oven, heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, and cook until onions are translucent about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic, Cherchies® Garlic 'n Herbs, and Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning to the pan, and cook for an additional minute.

Add the chicken broth, sweet potatoes, and bring to a boil. (* For more intense flavor, add the shrimp shells to the soup pan). Reduce the heat and simmer the potatoes until fork tender, about 20 minutes. (Remove the shrimp shells at this point, if used). **I didn't have full shrimp with the shells in this picture, rather shrimp with tails. I threw them in for only a few minutes).

After about 10 minutes, add the fish sauce, corn (I didn’t have for this picture), lemon juice, and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Once the potatoes have cooked, remove half of them and place them either in a blender or a large bowl. If using the blender, puree the potatoes, and if using the bowl, use a hand emulsion blender to puree. Return the pureed mixture to the soup pot. This will act as a thickener for the chowder.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the shrimp and scallops with 1 Tablespoon (Tbsp) olive oil and Cherchies® Cajun Seasoning. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and cook the shrimp and scallops until golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per side. Add the shrimp and scallops to the chowder and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

Add the shrimp and scallops to the chowder and simmer for an additional 2 minutes.

Serve the chowder. As an option for a pretty presentation and even more flavor, garnish the chowder with the chopped parsley, cooked bacon or andouille sausage, and the green onion.

Enjoy and let us know what you think!