Shrimps...!

So...you survived Hurricane Sandy. Me too! I'll be honest I decided somewhere between yesterday and today that I didn't want to waste time worrying about the storm, and so I convinced myself it was mostly hype. It helped that we didn't get too affected (didn't lose power or have to go out after work - correction: we chose not to go out after work, but hey we had a choice! - or get a lot a rain). I think half of the scare was simply the wind. Incredibly glad I don't live in New Jersey or New York though!

Today's recipe is another easy and much loved soup of mine. This soup is my go-to soup if I need to make something quick and/or I have a feeling that a cold is coming on! It is also from Chatelaine; although honestly I rarely buy this magazine (Canadian Living usually has more recipes per magazine and my mom usually has a subscription so I don't have to buy it!) I think I simply struck gold with Chatelaine March 2007!

But seriously, the best thing about this soup is it takes about 15 mins to make - from start to finish. 15 mins for chopping + cooking going straight into eating!

Ginger Scented Shrimp & Mushroom Soup (Chatelaine magazine, March 2007)

What You'll Need

• 1 carton (about 2 cups) sliced mushrooms (assorted varities are okay, but keep them small - no portobellos!)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 thumb sized (from your knuckle to your tip of finger) piece of ginger, peeled and diced
• 2 or 3 cups chicken broth (you can substitute 1 cup of chickenbroth for 1 1/2 cups water, as this cuts down on the brothy flavour and lets the ginger come out more)
• 2-3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of white sugar
• 1/2 tbsp of chili-garlic sauce (if you like it milder, add less; for more heat, add more!)
• 320 g pack of frozen peeled uncooked shrimp
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 green onion in diced small circles
• 1 can of sliced bamboo shoots, drained (optional)

What to Do

1. Slice mushrooms, ginger, green onion. Warm oil in large pot on medium heat. Add mushrooms and stir for 2-3 minutes until they are dark and have shrunk considerably. Prep shrimp (ie. unpeel them!) if necessary.
2. Add broth (and water if necessary) and ginger to pot and turn up heat to bring to boil. As pot is heating, add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce. Stir, and then cover and boil for 2-3 minutes on high.
3. Add shrimp to pot and stir, lowering heat to simmer. Cook until shrimp are pink, about 3 mins. Turn off heat and add sesame oil, green onion, and if using, bamboo shoots. Stir and taste. Add more chili-garlic sauce if you want more zing. More soy sauce will downplay the chili-garlic.
4. Serve! (if you want to make to freeze, leave the shrimp out until you want to eat it. Then defrost, add shrimp and reheat to cook shrimp!)

*Once again, short on the pics. But I promise tomorrow's post will have the real deal!

chau,
r.

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