We first made this soup for customers in 2013. It was a stellar month if you like your week reaching 100 plus degrees for umpteen days. To beat the heat and still somehow get in a work out, I was meeting up in the early morning with a group of badass kettlebellers who told stories every day about the food they ate the night before. Thinking that I’d down play the mouthwatering gab about gourmet burgers and burritos, I piped in casually with this gazpacho idea made out of desperation to use an over-ripe pineapple. Peeps liked the idea and hands went up for a quart or two. This recipe was developed shortly after that workout. It’s been served at many a 4th of July since! And from several of our soupers, we heard they added rum and froze it into more of a gelato or sorbet with a kick. With or without rum, this is a fun, refreshing bowl to serve to your family and friends this year. I highly recommend the shrimp, but if you aren’t a shrimp lover it goes well with grilled chicken, grilled veggies, grilled tofu, or salad rolls & peanut sauce. We’ve had it with chips & mango-pineapple-avocado salsa too! If you try any of these, please let us know what how you paired the soup and what you thought of the recipe. We LOVE hearing back from our peeps, Give it a try and stay outta the kitchen!
Makes 5-6 servings
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE SHRIMP
- 15-20 large shrimp with tails, deveined and cleaned
- 2 T sriracha
- 2 T honey
- 2 T fresh garlic, minced
- 1 T brown sugar
- 1 T dark sesame oil
- 1/4 cup tamari
- 2 T fresh lime juice (do not add until one hour before grilling)
If marinating shrimp for longer than an hour, do not add the lime juice until just 30 minutes before grilling. Citrus will cook shrimp and fish leaving you with a rubbery or mushy texture. In a medium bowl, mix all other ingredients until well incorporated. Toss shrimp in marinade and put in sealed zip lock or container with lid for up to 24 hours. If using bamboo skewers, soak for one hour before grilling. When ready to grill, skewer shrimp and grill on medium flame for about 3-4 minutes per side until shrimp turns pink and caramelize a bit. Chill for an hour before serving.
FOR THE GAZPACHO
- (1) ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped (reserve one cup for garnish)
- (3) large organic cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
- (1) jalapeno, seeded chopped
- (2) shallots
- (1) T minced garlic
- (2) green onions, white and green parts
- (1) quart of full-fat coconut milk
- (1/4) C organic cilantro, plus more for garnish
- (1/2) tsp each sea salt cracked black pepper
- (1) cup diced pineapple
- (3) T chopped cilantro
- (1) T extra virgin olive oil
- togarashi or Spanish smoked paprika
- lime wedges
In your blender, place pineapple (reserved one cup for garnish), cucumber, jalapeño, shallots, garlic, green onions and half the coconut milk. Blend until slightly smooth. Add in remainder coconut milk, cilantro, salt & pepper and blend until completely smooth. Add more salt if needed. Add more jalapeño if you need more heat.
SERVING
To serve, ladle soup into chilled bowls. Garnish with diced pineapple, cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of togarashi. Decoratively place 3-5 shrimp on the edge of the bowl. Serve with lime wedges and tiny plates for discarding shrimp tails.