I got this recipe from an old Newman’s cookbook. It’s so good and relatively easy that I only changed it slightly (I love shrimp and like a little more spice) and I usually make twice what we can eat because it freezes down so well. It does take a lot of chopping, but the cooking is super simple. Also save a lot of time by getting peeled and deveined shrimp.

Here’s the original link and here’s the recipe I go with:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3/4 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups clam juice
1 cup Newman’s Own Sauce (or whatever your favorite)
1 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and rinsed (I usually cut these into bite size pieces)

Spice mixture:
2 bay leaves

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme leaves
1 tsp dried basil leaves

Directions:

In a large pot, heat butter or margarine over medium heat until hot. Add celery and pepper, sauté 8-10 minutes until softened. Remove mixture from skillet and set aside. To same skillet, add onion and kielbasa and sauté 10 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 30 seconds.

Add spice mixture, clam juice, and pasta sauce. Simmer, covered 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook about 5 minutes. Add celery mixture, and heat through until shrimp have turned pink. Discard bay leaf.

Serve over rice in a large shallow soup bowl and enjoy!

Additionally, this goes particularly well with my “Slap Yo Mama” cornbread…pair away!