I Yike Houp ( I like Soup )

I Yike Houp is how my 2.5 year old says "I like Soup."
It's terribly adorable. I like to linger on how adorable it is, and then turn around the try to help her say it the correct way. We're working in it.
Anyway, I DO like soup!
If you ask my husband ( who isn't really fond of soup )
... its not that he isn't fond of soup, he just doesn't agree that soup is a meal. He is a steak and potatoes or burger and fries guy. Porkchops and applesauce. You get the gist...
My husband would tell you that I would eat soup every day. because I am so fond of it. I try to make it for lunch on weekdays because he isn't home. When I make it I usually eat it all in one sitting, too. What can I say? I yike houp.

I made this one today: Coconut Shrimp Soup. It sure is tasty. I got the recipe from a website that I found on Pinterest. But after having made it a couple of times, I have perfected the recipe to make it even better!!

Here goes:
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
1/2 Tbsp Ginger ( the original recipe calls for fresh ginger, but I always have a squeeze tube of ginger handy so I use that instead )
2 cloves minced garlic or 1/2 Tbsp ( the same here; I have a jar of minced garlic because I can't stand my fingers constantly smelling of it, so I keep a large quantity handy. )
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ( if you can stand it to be hotter, go with 1/2. I don't make it hotter because the kids eat it, too )
2 carrots peeled and sliced thin. ( I chop the ends off the carrots and then use the peeler to make thin slices of carrot )
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
1 Tbsp Water
2 Cups Seafood or Chicken Broth
1 Can of Coconut Milk
1/2 Cup Chopped Frozen Spinach
1 tsp salt
1 tsp of pepper ( or more, if you like pepper. I do )
1-2 Tbsp of Parsley ( optional and only if you don't have the spinach )
2 Handfulls of Shrimp. Peeled, De-veined and the tails pulled off
A small handful of Angel hair pasta, broken into thirds. ( roughly about the width of a quarter )

I start by heating up the oil in a large pan or pot. I add the ginger, garlic and pepper flakes. When the ginger becomes aeromatic and the garlic starts to brown ( not black, don't burn it! )
Add the carrots and stir a couple of times.
Add the coconut milk and stir in.
Wait about a minute and add your 2 cups of broth.
In the meantime, dissolve 1 tbsp of corn starch in 1 tbsp of water.
Once the soup comes to a boil, add the cornstarch/ water mixture.
Let simmer for about a minute.
Add the spinach and stir.
Break your pasta into thirds and add it into the pot.
You're going to simmer about 3-4 minutes, stirring every so often.
Add your salt and pepper, stirring to mix.
After 3-4 minutes, add your shrimp.
If you're not using spinach, you will add your parsley here.
Let simmer an additional 1 minute.
And Viola! You're done.

The original recipe called for lime juice and cilantro. Not a fan. So, I eliminated them and added the spinach. I also substituted the broth instead of the 3 cups of water that the recipe called for. It made it runny and not that tasty. Watered down? Yes, it was.
So, the seafood or chicken broth adds more depth of flavor to the soup.

If you don't eat it all in one sitting, the soup will thicken up over time. So, you may have to add some water or more broth to thin it back out upon another heating.

                                Super Good. Souper easy. ( <- See what I did there? Eh? Funny. ) :)

                                     Don't Forget to take the tails off. It makes for easier eating!