Shrimp creole is a classic main course from Louisiana that features shrimp with vegetables in a tomato sauce. The dish is commonly served over rice. To find out more about the creole meal, read on to learn how to make shrimp creole.

While readily available in most restaurants in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast, making shrimp creole at home is quite easy and fairly fast. Preparation start to finish will take under an hour, making it a nice pick for weekday dinners.

Another benefit of making shrimp creole at home is the ability to vary the recipe to fit your tastes. By selecting the specific vegetables and amount of hot sauce and spices used, the meal can be customized for your eating style. Traditionally, onion, celery and bell pepper are used.

Seasonings and the sauce are key to making a delicious dish, using spices like parsley, bay leaves and standard creole seasoning with a tomato base for the sauce. A bit of sugar is also added to neutralize the acid naturally found in the tomatoes.

This step-by-step guide provides information on the ingredients and preparation method for making basic shrimp creole, as well as ideas for common variations to make the dish your own and tips to make the preparation faster and easier.

• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, any color, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 2 tbsp. flour
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp. hot sauce
• 2 tbsp. creole seasoning
• 2 14.5-oz. cans crushed tomatoes, Cajun variety if possible
• 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 6-oz. can tomato paste
• 2-3 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined and rinsed

1. Heat the olive oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add in the celery, onion and bell pepper, cooking for about five minutes.
2. Add in the garlic and cook for an additional two minutes. Stir frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.
3. Stir in the flour, sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaves, hot sauce, creole seasoning, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.
5. Add the peeled and washed shrimp and cook for about 15 minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaves.
7. Serve and enjoy!

• Adjust the amount of spices and hot sauce used to reach the desired amount of heat to your liking.
• Vary the vegetables used, omitting the celery and bell pepper if desired.
• Make your own creole seasoning at home by combining paprika, basil, thyme, salt, pepper, oregano and cayenne pepper.
• Use fresh tomatoes in place of canned, chopping them in a food processor first.
• For a thinner dish, add in shrimp stock.