When a Brazilian is a Good Thing

Mention the word "Brazilian" to most women and they'll probably head for the hills.  I'm guessing it's similar to showing a man a bag of frozen peas.

Recently I discovered a very lovely something that, while associated with the word, will have you going back for more.

Brazilian Shrimp Soup is a dish I stumbled upon while doing some mindless web browsing and I do apologize to whomever I took this from since I didn't not catch your name to give you proper credit.  But it was late and I was in some sort of carbohydrate coma, I'm sure.

So, thank you, whoever you are, for passing down this very lovely, hearty, simple soup to warm a Wisconsinite on a cold (nearly) winter's night.

  Here are the ingredients you'll need (full recipe to follow).  I had to make a slight adjustment to this recipe because I didn't have the can of crushed tomatoes.  I substituted tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. 

 It was still delicious and I'm sure that the original recipe is even better.

 There's always a little prep with a good soup.  

This doesn't have a lot, so you'll be closing down the chopshop early.

 I have a lot of kitchen gadgets.  It might even be suggested that I'm a gadget junkie (though I'll probably deny it most days).   You can squeeze the lemon into your hands and catch the seeds if you like, but don't come squawking to me when the juice hits that little cut you didn't even know you had.  This little baby, not only reams the lemon but catches the seeds.  Isn't that nice?

 Heat oil and saute the onion, pepper and garlic till they begin to soften....

 Add the rice, red pepper flakes, salt, tomatoes and water and bring to a boil.  

Cook till the rice is nearly tender.

Chop the shrimp in half.  I only had ready-to-eat because it was on sale. Yeah, shrimp sale!

Add the coconut milk and bring it back to a simmer.  Then add the shrimp.  They're already cooked, so you're really just heating them through (unless you're using them raw in which case you'll cook till they turn pink).  Stir in the lemon juice, pepper, and parsley (fresh is best, but dried will do in a pinch).

And BAM!  Just like that you've got a Brazilian that you can shake a razor at!  (I know, bad pun...boo!)

Sometimes making a "cold call" to a recipe is really hit or miss.  I was pleasantly surprised to find everyone (including myself!) going back for seconds of this hearty soup.  Hope you'll try it!

Brazilian Shrimp Soup 

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

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.