Heirloom tomato basil soup with grilled lemon thyme garlic shrimp

 Heirloom tomato basil soup with grilled lemon thyme garlic shrimp

What? Shrimp and tomato soup? No pork? No meat? Well yeah. I eat damn near anything and as much as an all pork and whiskey diet sounds um…  intriguing, there’s a whole lot of food out there. This is a very easy, very fresh and very satisfying meal. The fresh tomatoes and basil play well with the slightly charred lemon garlic shrimp. I use a mix of heirlooms and vine ripened tomatoes but you could go 100% with all of either. Find ripe tomatoes because you aren’t cooking them long and you want as much juice and flavor as you can get out of them. Please use local shrimp if you can. I know you people out in Oklahoma can’t really do this, but there is no excuse for anyone living near the coast in shrimping fisheries to buy imported shrimp. Seriously. Don’t be an ass. You’re supporting the local economy, your neighbors and the shrimp is way better fresh.

More below the foldy thing.

Shopping list

Tomato soup

• 3 lbs. Fresh ripe heirloom and / or vine ripened tomatoes
• 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil plus more for garnish
• 1 medium onion small chop
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• fresh cracked pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
• 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves. chopped save a few leaves per bowl for garnish

Lemon, thyme, garlic shrimp

• 1 lbs. fresh local shrimp (U8-10), shelled tails on (or off, whatever you want)
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tbs of fresh thyme chopped
• 1 tsp chile flakes
• juice of one lemon (make it a fat one)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

Toasty cheesy crunchy things

• Loaf of crusty rustic bread, sliced for enough people you are serving
• a wedge of sharp hard goats cheese, gruyere or other funky pungent melting cheese

Equipment

• Stick blender or pitcher blender
• grill pan or charcoal grill
• bigger rather than smaller soup pot of some sort
• fine mesh strainer
• cheese grater

What to do

read through all directions first (namely the shrimp, you need to start marinating them)

Pre-heat broiler

Tomato soup

1. core the tomatoes and slice them in half along the equator
2. using a finger, pull all of the seeds and gel surrounding them out into a fine mesh strainer over a bowl
3. tap the side of the strainer until all of the gel falls through leaving the seeds
4. chop the tomatoes into inch or so chunks
5. heat the olive oil over medium heat
6. add the onion and sauté until translucent
7. add the garlic and cook until fragrant
8. add the tomatoes and cook until just starting to soften
9. add the “seed gel juice” and basil and cook for 3-4 minutes more
10. using a stick blender or transfer to a stand up blender purée until smooth and return to the pot
11. add cream to desired amount, season with salt and pepper and keep warm over very low heat

Grilled lemon, thyme, garlic shrimp

1. place the peeled shrimp in a bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme chile flakes, salt and pepper.
2. marinate while making the soup
3. preheat a grill pan to medium-high or a charcoal grill with low coal
4. once the soup is done and staying warm, grill the shrimp till just done with a slight char on each side
5. remove and hold

Toasty cheesy crunchy things

1. cut each slice in half diagonally
2. shred the cheese on the small shreddy holes of your box grater
3. place the half slices on a sheet pan and place under the broiler until just starting to toast
4. remove from the oven, flip them over, add a big mound of cheese to cover each slice
5. place back in oven and toast until cheese melted and bread is just turning brown

Serving

• ladle soup into a short wide soup bowl
• add grilled shrimp around the edge in bowl
• garnish with basil leaves and a little extra virgin olive oil
• plate with toasty cheesy crunchy things
• enjoy