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This is a dish I came across on the Pacific coast of Ecuador, where shrimp are plentiful and cheap ($3-$5 per pound) due to the huge shrimp farming industry. This soup is very thick and creamy, almost a stew, with an amazing contrast of flavours - ingredients include peanut butter, limes, fresh cilantro (coriander). SERVES 2 Preparation Time: 10 Minutes |
| 3/4 pint chicken stock | 3 cloves garlic, crushed |
| 1 cup diced squash | 1 ear sweetcorn, cut into 4 pieces |
| 1 cup mixed fresh peas, broad beans, etc | 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) |
| 1 sweet potato, peeled and diced | 1 large tblsp peanut butter |
| 1 white potato, peeled and diced | 1 oz piece of creamed coconut |
| 1 lb uncooked large shrimp | 1 teasp dried red pepper flakes or seeds |
| Juice of 1 lime | 1 teasp brown sugar |
When I first made this soup, I bought a ready-prepared bag of mixed vegetables and beans. So, depending on which vegetables you choose to include, the timing for cooking them may be a bit shorter or longer.
Place all the ingredients apart from the shrimp into a large pressure cooker, put on the lid, bring to pressure and cook for about 10 minutes.
Release the pressure, remove the lid, check that the vegetables are cooked through almost to the point of disintegrating - if not, cook for a bit longer. Add more liquid if necessary.
Meanwhile, peel and de-vein most of the shrimp, leaving a few whole ones to add extra flavour from the shells.
Add all the shrimp to the soup, and cook gently for about 5 minutes until the shrimp have turned pink.
Serve with a little extra cilantro sprinkled over the top.