Spicy Shrimp Soup Recipe

This is one of those everything-but-the-kitchen-sink type of recipes. I got so excited in the produce section, and I wanted a little bit of everything. What this created is a colorful bowl of chunky veggies, shrimp, and spiciness. My focus was the broth. I love a good broth, and the best way to create that is by stewing the ingredients together for a long time on low heat. This Spicy Shrimp Soup recipe is for a day when you really just want to cook. It's not quite as quick and easy as other recipes I've posted, and it has a complicated flavor. That's how I like my soups, though, slightly mysterious.

It's not that I don't want my soup to contain familiar flavors, I want familiar flavors to come together in an unfamiliar way. Each spoonful should evoke a new feeling- savory, spicy, satisfying, warm. And yes, the weather is warming up, so it's not traditional soup season, but the fresh veggies cannot be ignored. This soup is perfect on a cool summer night, as you sit with friends and family out under the twinkling sky.

When I was planning this soup at first, I wasn't going to include any meat. I was thinking only of a pot filled with broth and vegetables. As the soup developed more in my brain, though, I decided I wanted to add little shrimps for texture and complexity.

Beyond the veggies and shrimp, a big part of this recipe are the herbs and spices- salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, chipotle powder and two bay leaves. A lot of the flavor also comes from the green chilis and the poblano pepper.

As for the vegetables, I added things that were flavorful, nutritious, and/or hearty. I wanted this soup to make a great dinner and lunch for a few days after. It fulfilled my desires exactly. It's one of those soups that will "clear you out" too because of the spice. I don't recommend it for people who are sensitive to this.

As I mentioned earlier, it is very important to let this soup cook for a long time over low heat. I cooked mine for about 3 hours, but anywhere between 2 and 3 hours would be fine. This time allows the flavors of the ingredients to meld together and saturate the broth. It also makes the zucchini mushy which, in turn, creates the effect of a thickened soup.

Serve this soup over a scoop of rice or in a bread bowl to help soak up some of the spiciness and for general deliciousness.

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Spicy Shrimp Soup

by Holly June-10-2016

A colorful summer soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb Cooked shrimp
• 1 Chopped small yellow onion
• 1 lb Chopped crimini mushrooms
• 15 oz can Cannelini beans
• 10 oz can Diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 1 Chopped Zucchini
• 1 Chopped Leek
• 1 Diced garlic clove
• 1 Diced poblano pepper
• 1 Corn cob with corn cut off
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp Chili powder
• 1/2 tsp Chipotle powder
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 Bay leaf
• 6 cups Chicken broth

Instructions

Rinse and dice or chop the ingredients as mentioned above.In a large pot, heat olive oil, onion, mushrooms for about 5 minutes over medium-high heat.Add remaining ingredients and stir.Once the soup begins to boil, turn the heat to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 3 hour Total time: 3 hour 15 mins Yield: 8 servings