It's a great day for soup! It's been kind of weird and cloudy and off and on stormy here, and so even though it's summer it's also FREEZING everywhere I go so....soup? Hurray for wasting money due to modern technology? 
I like to be warm, is my point.
Hence, this soup! The flavors are epic, the ingredients are simple, and we add almonds to the soup before we puree it to make it creamy without any dairy which is just GREAT. Smoked paprika really makes the flavor of the soup, and if you don't own any I'd basically just suggest buying some. BUT if you don't really want to spend money then just ignore me and use regular paprika or nothing. I'll never know!
Let's make soup. You just need onion, garlic, carrot, celery, and canned diced tomatoes. You also need chicken stock, almonds, butter, a lemon, creme fraiche, cherry tomatoes, and shrimp. Easy stuff, and don't go nuts and buy expensive shrimp unless you just really want to. 
Ooh and the pimenton! Don't forget that. Mine is from TJ Maxx. 
First, let's prep the veggies. Roughly chop the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. We're going to puree the soup later, so we don't need to be too fussy with our chopping. 
Now, add the veggies to a small pot with a drizzle of oil. Then, add a sprinkle of salt and the smoked paprika. 
Let the veggies cook for 5 minutes or so until they start to soften. 
Then, add the tomatoes and the chicken stock. 
Toss in the almonds...
...and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat a bit, and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes until the veggies are totally soft. If the pot has a lid, cover the soup. If not, you may need to add a bit more chicken stock as the soup reduces. 
While the soup is simmering, let's get to work on the shrimp! Zest the lemon first.
Then, preheat a medium skillet to medium-high with the butter. 
When the butter foams and browns just a bit, add the shrimp! We cook the shrimp super fast so that they don't overcook. Let them cook for maybe 60 seconds on the first side...
....then flip them over and sprinkle them with salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Then, turn the heat off the pan and set aside the shrimp until we're ready to serve. 
Now, back to the soup. When the veggies are super duper soft, puree the soup using a food processor, blender, or immersion blender. Creamy! Taste the soup and add more salt if you'd like. 
Last, chop the cherry tomatoes for garnish. 
Now, we're ready to serve! Scoop out bowls of the soup, then put a dollop of creme fraiche right on top. It'll melt and swirl in and be all pretty. Top THAT with some of the shrimp, tomatoes, and extra lemon zest, and we're ready to eat!
This is the most yummy EVER, guys. The almonds make the soup creamy even before we add the creme fraiche, which is just icing on the creamy cake. 
And the shrimp. Kind of crispy from the brown butter and tangy from the lemon. Seriously. 
Tomato soup makeover, done and done. Enjoy this!
Recipe
Spanish Style Tomato Soup + Brown Butter Lemon Shrimp
Ingredients
- FOR THE SOUP
- 1 large carrot or 1 handful baby carrots cut into a large dice
- ½ large onion diced
- 1 stalk celery diced
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or pimenton
- salt to taste
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken or vegetable stock plus more if needed
- ¼ cup sliced toasted almonds
- 4 dollops creme fraiche
- ¼ cup diced cherry tomatoes
- FOR THE SHRIMP
- ½ pound peeled deveined shrimp
- 1 tablespoon butter
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a soup pot to medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion with a drizzle of olive oil. Cook for 5 minutes to soften slightly, then add the pimenton, garlic, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 2 more minutes until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock, then cover and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. Add the almonds to the soup. Using an immersion blender or regular blender or food processor, puree the soup until very smooth. Taste, and salt to your preference.
- While the soup is simmering, bring a skillet to medium-high heat with the butter. When the butter foams and browns, add the shrimp in 1 layer and let cook for 2 minutes until browned. Flip, and turn off the heat. Sprinkle the shrimp with the lemon zest, a bit of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.
- To serve, dollop creme fraiche on the soup, then top with some of the shrimp and cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!
Notes
- Vegetarian if you omit the shrimp, vegan if you omit the shrimp and creme fraiche.
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