Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Brazilian shrimp soup is something I've never made before or even tried in a restaurant. This recipe is something that I stumbled across by accident while searching for something new to make and thought it sounded delicious.

This is the description included when the recipe was originally published in Food & Wine magazine:

          

"Coconut milk's rich flavor will keep you coming back for more of this substantial soup. A true Brazilian version would include slices of okra, but ours is already so satisfyingly thick that we left it out."

For those interested, this is the wine recommendation:

"The sweet elements here call for a somewhat assertive sweetness in the wine as well. A Vouvray demi-sec, from France's Loire Valley, ought to strike just the right balance."

The recipe I'm using is a combination of the original Food & Wine version and versions from the Annie's Eats food blog and Group Recipes. My version includes a bit more crushed red pepper than the Food & Wine version to give it a bit more kick and substitutes chicken broth for water for a richer flavor. 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup long-grain rice

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

1 ¾ tsp. salt

1 ¾ cups canned crushed tomatoes

5 cups chicken broth

1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

1 ½ lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and cut in half horizontally

¼ tsp. black pepper

1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. In a large pot, heat the oil over moderately low heat. 

2. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the rice, red-pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes, and water to the pot. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook until the rice is almost tender, about 10 minutes.

4. 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. 

5. Stir in the black pepper, lemon juice, and cilantro.


Results:
Of all the recipes I've tried thus far this was the one I was most concerned about, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. The extra crushed red pepper didn't make it too hot. In fact, you could make it a little bit hotter if you wanted. The coconut milk gave it a great flavor and texture. It actually had a flavor much like a Thai panang curry. This isn't the most picturesque dish I've made, but it was very tasty. It was also extremely filling for a soup. The recipe was simple enough that anyone should be able to make it. 

And since he is the star of the blog, here's Sawyer attempting to impede my soup photo shoot.