Seafood Chowder

One night I started throwing stuff in the soup kettle, and this is what came out. Pretty darned good, actually! I use frozen and canned veggies and dried herbs for ease of preparation, but fresh ingredients could only make it even better.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  tilapia fillets
• 1  cup cannellini beans
• 1  cup corn
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  cup  diced onion
• 2  large tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 10 1⁄2 ounces  98% fat free condensed cream of celery soup
• 2  cups water
• 1  tablespoon  minced garlic
• 1  teaspoon  minced dried lemongrass
• 1  tablespoon pesto sauce
• 1  large vegetable bouillon cube
• 2  tablespoons dried cilantro
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 20  medium shrimp
• 1  tablespoon soy sauce
• 3  tablespoons cooking sherry
• 1  dash Tabasco sauce
•  fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. In bottom of stock pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Brown onions and garlic.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
3. Do not bother to cut up the fish; it will disintegrate as the soup cooks, leaving you with lovely chunks of fish to enjoy by the spoonful. You may wish to remove the tails from the shrimp, though I leave them on for visual appeal.
4. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes until the soup is the consistency you like (I prefer a fairly thick consistency). You may wish to add a tablespoon of flour or cornstarch as a thickening agent. Stir frequently.
5. Garnish with fresh parsley, a few spoonfuls of grated parmesan, and/or some crispy garlic croutons.
6. Options: I'd like to try this with potatoes, but didn't have any on hand. Milk would also probably be a great addition (as a substitute for part or all of the water) if you would like a creamier chowder.