Fire and Blood: Spicy Shrimp & Avocado Soup

"Anyway, like I was sayin’, shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. There’s shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There’s pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That, that’s about it." 

Bubba, Forest Gump

This fiery soup will clear your sinuses right up, so if you love spicy, this is for you.  If you're not so keen on the hot hot heat, I've got a few suggestions on how to cut that down.

What you need:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/3 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup chopped carrot
• 1 can chipotle chile in abodo sauce*
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 15oz. can white hominy
• 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 12 oz. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup tortilla chips
• 1 diced avocado
• 2 tbsp cilantro leaves
• Plain greek yogurt**

*To cut down on spice, you can reduce the amount that you put in.  

**The yogurt also helps to cut the spice.  Stoney preferred the soup without.

Place oil in a large saucepan, add oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Add onion, celery, carrot, Chipotle Chili, cumin, chili powder, and garlic.  Cook for 6 minutes.  Add the broth, hominy, lime juice, salt, and tomatoes, and bring everything to a boil.  Reduce heat slightly once boiling and cover, cooking for another 6 minutes (stir it a few times).  Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes (or until your shrimp are fully cooked).

To prep your bowls, place a few tortilla chips, avocado chunks, and (if desired) yogurt.  Pour your soup, garnish with cilantro, and enjoy!