Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Brazilian Shrimp Soup - Seriously Soupy

I first learned about this quick soup recipe from my run-down about National Soup Month. I loved how easy it seemed - but also how it packed a punch of flavors from the creamy coconut milk and the spicy red-pepper flakes. I didn't have any rice, so that part was omitted but I still found it to be a hearty and satisfying soup that did fine without the starch. The recipe can also include okra - as a traditional addition to the soup. Enjoy!

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Recipe from Food and Wine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup long-grain rice
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from one 15-ounce can)
5 cups water
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and cut in half horizontally
1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro


Directions:
    1.    In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.
    2.    Add the rice, red-pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes.
    3.    Stir the coconut milk into the soup. Bring back to a simmer and then stir in the shrimp. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just done, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and parsley.

Notes:
Variation Instead of the shrimp, use one pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about three), cut crosswise into quarter-inch strips. Cook for the same amount of time.


What soups from Brazil have you made?
 Seriously Soupy Serena

Lime Shrimp/Jasmine Rice Soup

 
I have been wanting to cook with fish, or really any ingredient other than chicken, beans, and veggies. Although I do love those foods, I think I am starting to love them a bit much, as they are making an appearance in virtually every soup that I create. Not saying that I won't go back to them, but it's time to mix things up a bit by using food combinations and ingredients that I would normally stear away from. During my weekly venture to TJ's (Trader Joes) I found some frozen shrimp, which seemed like a fool-proof fish to use in a soup (perfect for my first soupy/fishy venture)! I then scoured the Internet for recipes of what would go well with shrimp. I saw a lot of coconut, chicken broth, lime, and lemongrass being used, which gave me the footing for an idea of how to create my own lemongrass/corn/lime/shrimp soup. Here's what I did:

Ingredients:
1 bag of frozen shrimp (fresh would also be a great option)
6 cups of Organic Imagine lemongrass and corn broth (I used an entire package)
2-3 cups of water 
1 yellow onion, chopped up
1/2 a clove of garlic, chopped up
2 cups of Jasmine rice
1 can of Bamboo shoots
2 stalks of chives, chopped up
3-5 limes (I used 5)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
pinch of sea salt (can modified based on your preference)
pinch of black pepper
pinch of garlic salt
pinch of red pepper
Serves 8

Directions:
Bring water to a boil and add the broth. Cut up the onions, garlic, chives, limes, and lemon juice and add them to the boiling water for 20 minutes (or so). At this point I tested the mixture and found it to be very "limey" that was very overpowering. I took out the limes, added more water, the seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic salt, and red peppers) and the shrimp and let that cook for another 10-15 minutes. Add the rice and bamboo shoots, testing out the flavors. I ended up adding more salt and pepper and a little more water (1 cup)-it was still very limey!!! Pour soup into a bowl with some cut up lime segments and enjoy!

P.S. This soup was certainly an adventure in flavors I have never worked with. I didn't realize what a punch the limes would give, so for next time I would use less (maybe 3?), but using spices (and more water) helped the soup a lot, resulting in a rich and hearty soup that actually took virtually no time to create (1 hour total). It was so yummy and I also loved how the Jasmine rice and shrimp seemed to work perfectly with the flavors of the soup. No longer fearful of using ingredients outside of my comfort zone, I wonder what I will try next? Oxtail, lamb, a medley of fish...maybe not just yet, but these baby steps are surely making this process fun and allowing me to expand my growing soupy catalog.

What type of shrimp soups have you created?

Seriously Soupy Serena