Brazilian Shrimp Soup

This weekend, Jonathan and I did a whole lot of relaxing and a whole lot of nothing. We did hang out with our friends Sara and Robby, and we also went to see Harry Potter 7, which was great. Tonight, I made this delicious soup from the fantastic blog, Annie's Eats. As usual, her recipe didn't disappoint. Now, I'm not sure if it's actually an authentic Brazilian recipe (my good friend and classmate Lila would know), but it tasted just like something you would get in a restaurant. It had a subtle tropical flavor due to the coconut milk and cilantro, but it was still very savory. It was simple to make, too! You must give this a try:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup long-grain rice
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
1 ¾ tsp. salt
1 ¾ cups canned crushed tomatoes
5 cups water (I used 4 cups chicken broth, 1 cup water)
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (I used the light version)
1 ½ lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and cut in half horizontally
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (don't skip this...it makes all the difference!)

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Add the rice, red pepper flakes, salt, crushed tomatoes, and chicken broth/water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until the rice is almost tender. Stir in the coconut milk. Return the mixture to a simmer, then stir in the shrimp. Simmer just until the shrimp are cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the pepper, lemon juice and cilantro. Serve immediately.

Deliciousness in a bowl :)