October 22, 2009
Soup #3: Spicy Brazilian Soup with Coconut Milk
I had bookmarked this one in my big soup bible months ago.  It sounded really appetizing then.  I'm pretty much a sucker for anything with coconut milk.  Anyway, my parents were coming over for dinner that week, and I wanted to make something different.  I remember this soup and knew I had most of the ingredients on-hand.  When I looked it up, it didn't seem so appetizing.  Peanut butter?  In a soup??  My mom is a big foodie, and pretty much my favorite chef in the whole world, and this definitely sounded like something she'd be interested in so despite my squeamishness over the ingredients, I decided to give it a shot.  We all LOVED it.  All the ingredients came together wonderfully.
Another soup success!!

1 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 c shelled raw peanuts or cashews, or 1/3 c peanut or cashew butter (I went with 1/3 c peanut butter)
3 T safflower oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
a 1/2-inch slice of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 Thai chilies or 6 jalapeno chilies, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed, finely chopped
6 medium-size tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped, or 3 c canned, seeded, and drained.
juice of 2 limes
1/4 dried shrimp, ground to a powder, 2 T
1 quart chicken broth
2 c coconut milk
2 T finely chopped cilantro leaves

If you're using whole nuts, grind them in food processor until they have the consistency of smooth peanut butter.  This takes about 3 minutes, and you may have to scape the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula once or twice to get the mixture moving.
Heat the safflower oil in a 4-quart pot over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies until the vegetables shine and the kitchen fills with their aroma, about 10 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, lime juice, ground shrimp, and pureed nuts.  Whisk in the chicken broth a cup at a time to keep the mixture smooth.  Add the coconut milk and cilantro.  Use a blender to puree the soup.
Add the shrimp to the soup just before serving.  Slowly bring to a simmer and cook until the shrimp is done.  The shrimp is done as soon as they turn completely red.  Serve!!
I added cooked rice to the leftovers and made more of a stew--also delicious!!