Shrimp Soup with Chilli Tortilla Strips

 Oh, the irony.  Just a few posts ago, I was telling you how much I didn't like soup- that I like Chowdah.  And yet, I'm about to tell you about this delicious Shrimp Soup that I made recently.  I was dubious at first.  My Mom found the recipe- she LOVES soup.  She hands it to me and says "Doesn't this look good?"  I was kind of "meh" about the whole thing.  (again- not typically a soup person.)  But she is my Mom, so of course I made it..........

................and you know what...............

Pepe the King Prawn knows what's up.

Exactly.  It was light, but filling and the lime juice and cilantro gave a lovely accent to it that I did not expect.  This soup was light enough that it could be a summer soup.  And the homemade chilli tortilla chips- wow.  Way better and easier than expected.  

Oil, sprinkle, slice, bake.....!  (I bet they would be good if you sprinkled them with a little lime juice too.....)

First, let me point out that the recipe calls for a Pablano pepper.  I'm no connoisseur of peppers.  I know they come in hot and not hot, green and red and yellow and orange (my favorite), and that if you get pepper juice on your fingers, DO NOT touch your face.  (That one time was ALL it took......)  Standing in front of the pepper selection at the grocery store was a touch overwhelming.  There must have been 20 different varieties, not counting the standard bell peppers.  To make things more overwhelming, they did not have a Pablano pepper.

*moment of well there goes THAT plan*

I do carry one of those smart phone things that keep you connected to the world 24/7/365 and I was able to Google search pepper substitutions, and happily found the Cook's Thesaurus.  I ended up using an Anaheim pepper, which turned out to be pretty mild.  If you want to give your soup a little kick, I would add a Serrano pepper too.  I also threw in a handful of frozen bell pepper strips that I happened to have. 

It smells so good!   The red and yellow are bell peppers.

 As for the shrimp, I used frozen shrimp.  YUP!  The stuff in the seafood case that you buy "fresh" is actually the same thing......except it has already been thawed out and is more expensive.  Get the peeled and deveined UNCOOKED shrimp.  Don't get the cute little pink already-been-cooked cocktail shrimp that you dip in sauce.  Get the uncooked ones- they cook really fast and they won't get chewy.  I know, I know- they are all grey and icky looking, but they will turn pink- I promise!  And don't worry if they have tails- you can pluck them off as you eat. 

And remember.......cilantro (which is key- don't leave it out).....cilantro is not placed with the herbs typically.  Instead, it's over in the loose leafy green stuff and sold in bunches.  

I am a sucker for wooden spoons.  I always cook/ bake/ mix/ stir with a wooden spoon.

Once the soup is all cooked and lovely, ladle it out and top with a little bit of fresh Avocado and some of your tasty baked tortilla strips.  I can pretty much guarantee you will go back for seconds and if you have a couple friends over, you may not have to worry about leftovers at all!

Nom Nom Nom

Shrimp Soup with Chilli Tortilla Strips
(It takes about 45 minutes, start to finish)

1 large poblano pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
I added a handful of bell pepper too, mainly for color.
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 qt. chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 12 ounce package frozen shrimp (peeled and deveined- not cooked!)
(If you got a BIG bag of shrimp, no big deal- just freeze whatever is left over for the next shrimp dish you make!)
1 cup frozen corn
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup snipped FRESH cilantro
2 Tbsp Lime Juice

1 small avocado, halved, seeded (this is to put on top when you serve it)

2 8-9 inch flour tortillas
1 Tbsp olive oil
chilli powder

Soup

1)  In a 4-5 quart Dutch oven cook poblano pepper, onion, and garlic in hot oil until just tender.  Add broth, salt, and crushed red pepper.  Bring to boiling.  Add frozen shrimp, corn, and drained beans; return to boiling.

2) Simmer, unocvoered, for about 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink and pretty (they called it "opaque").  Stir in cilantro and lime juice.  Serve in shallow bowls with avocado and tortilla strips.

Chilli Tortilla Strips

1)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2)  Bring one side of the tortillas with the oil and sprinkle with chilli powder.  (They say 1/2 tsp, but I say use your own judgement as to how spicy you want them.)
3)  Using a pizza wheel slicer thing, cut into strips (see my picture way above).
4)  Place in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until crisp.
5)  Don't burn your tongue by trying to eat one the second you pull the pan out of the oven.

Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments below!