Spicy Vegetable Soup with Basil Garlic Shrimp

 

6 cups filtered water or spring water

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (about 4 oranges)

3 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

2 cups carrot washed and cut into 1/2 inch rounds  (don’t peel)

2 cups bite sized, cubed sweet potato (about 1 large sweet potato)

1 1/4 teaspoons fresh ginger zest

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon turmeric (1/2 teaspoon for base and 1/2 teaspoon for shrimp)

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt (plus 1/4 teaspoon for seasoning shrimp)

1 cup compacted green kale

1 cup compacted baby spinach

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped basil

3/4 tablespoon fresh minced garlic

2 1/2 dozen uncooked medium sized shrimp peeled and deveined

 

Combine spring water, orange juice, crushed tomatoes, carrots and sweet potato in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, add ginger zest, onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 2 teaspoons salt and mix well.  Cover and let cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (Soup should stay at a simmer).  After 15 minutes remove from heat, add kale and spinach, mix well, salt to taste and cover.  Let soup rest for 2 hours (reheat before serving) and then prepare your basil garlic shrimp.  

Notes: Soups taste even better a day after preparing them.  The flavors have time to meld if placed in the refrigerator for a day and then reheated and served.  

Basil Garlic Shrimp 

Place shrimp on a plate lined with paper towels and pat the tops of shrimp with and extra paper towel to dry.  Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan.  Once hot add basil and garlic and cook 2 minutes stirring.  Add shrimp and evenly sprinkle on 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric.  Mix well to coat shrimp.  Cook for 3 minutes and remove from heat.  Spoon shrimp into individual servings of soup or mix into pot before serving.