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Friday, June 21, 2013

Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup


Do you think it is strange for me to post a soup recipe on the first day of summer? I have always strayed away from making or eating hot soups during the warmer months, but I thought that this recipe seemed good for summer. We have been having this beautiful weather lately and I actually ate a bowl of this soup out on my front porch yesterday afternoon. Shrimp is something that is usually enjoyed in the summer, so I that is why I thought this soup would be just fine for me to try this week. Hopefully I have convinced myself and you that eating hot soup in the summer time is totally normal.

We have a ton of cilantro growing in our garden right now. Greg kept telling me I needed to make something with parsley because there was so much of it, so I was going to add it into a buttermilk ranch dressing recipe. Greg went out to grab me the "parsley," and when he put it into my hand, I immediately knew it was not parsley! There is no mistaking the smell of cilantro (unless you are Greg). Needless to say, I didn't put the cilantro in my dressing. I was thinking about what I wanted to make with cilantro. I always make Mexican food, so I thought I'd try something different. I had seen this soup years ago on Annie's Eats and knew I wanted to eventually try it, so that is what I made. The soup is hearty and spicy and healthy. Each serving has about 300 calories, and it's very filling. You can serve it alone or with a side salad. I also made homemade croutons to add on top of the soup, and they add a nice touch, but they aren't necessary. I included a recipe link for homemade croutons in case you want to add some crunch to your bowl! Enjoy.

Recipe for Spicy Brazilian Shrimp Soup 

INGREDIENTS:
3 Tbsp. of Extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped small
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
1 small jalapeno pepper, minced (leave a few seeds for more heat or remove all)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 cups of canned crushed tomatoes
5 cups of water
1 cup of white Basmati rice or other long-grained white rice
1 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/4 tsp. of salt
1 can of coconut milk (13.5 ounces)
1 pound of frozen large shrimp, thawed and peeled
Juice from 1/2 small lemon
Juice from 1/2 small lime
1/4 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro leaves
Sliced avocado, for garnish
Homemade Croutons (add 1 clove of pressed garlic to olive oil for garlic croutons)

DIRECTIONS:
Put the olive oil into a large pot and set over medium heat. Once oil is hot, add in the onion, red pepper, and jalapeno pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add in the crushed tomatoes, water, rice, red pepper flakes and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and then adjust the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for about 10 - 12 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and bring the soup back to a simmer. Add in the shrimp and stir. Allow the shrimp to cook for about 5 minutes (the shrimp will turn pink when it is done). Stir in the lemon juice, lime juice, black pepper, and cilantro. You can serve immediately or allow the soup to sit for several minutes before serving. Divide into soup bowls and garnish with avocado slices and croutons, if desired. Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay good for a couple days.

Makes approximately 8 servings. Each serving has about 300 calories (without the avocado and croutons).

Recipe Adapted from Annie's Eats

Do you love shrimp but  not sure about eating soup in summer? Try this sweet & spicy marinated shrimp recipe!