I ate a bagel with cream cheese and Lay’s Salt & Vinegar Chips for lunch every day during my sophomore year of high school. The lunch lady, a larger woman with a thick Jersey accent, never asked for my order since it was so consistent. She would chat me up about her son which I would politely smile and tune out since she would give me an extra container of cream cheese for it. I would rip off pieces of the bagel, dip it into the cream cheese, then stick a chip onto it, eat, repeat until either my cream cheese or chips ran out. On the occasion I would go get a third container of cream cheese. Needless to say, I did not look like a lady while eating. Which is probably where that issue in my life stems from, but that’s for another day.

Every other week, our cafeteria would make tomato rice soup. It was thick, hot red, Campbell’s tomato soup with a hidden layer of overcooked white rice. Mmm…?? In reality, it was more like a thinned out ketchup. That would be the only time I would change my lunch routine. Kind of… I would rip off pieces of my bagel, dip in cream cheese, stick on a chip and drop the glorious bite onto my soup filled spoon. Those were the best lunch days.

I’ve tried this combo again. Though it is still just as delicious as I remember, I would never serve it to anyone I know. And probably anyone I don’t know for that matter.

After reminiscing about those high school lunch days recently, I figured I should try to adult-ify a good tomato and rice soup. Roasting the tomatoes brings out their natural sweetness and concentrates the flavors. I’ve upgraded the basic white rice to a nutty, and beautiful if I might add, wild black rice. I love the depth that it adds. The garlic shrimp is like the golden bonus that sits atop this gorgeous soup. And what’s a soup without some sort of bread crumb/crouton action. Warning: I like garlic. Adult-ified. Check. Winning. Check.

Roasted Tomato & Wild Rice Soup

with Garlic Shrimp & Bread Crumbs

makes 6 servings with 2 pc. shrimp for each

1 Tb olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 Tb sweet paprika
4-5 strands saffron
1 Tb sugar
1 1/2 cups San Marzano diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

For the garlic bread crumbs:
1 heaping cup bread crumbs, I prefer a coarse homemade crumb here
6 Tb unsalted butter
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
salt & pepper
 
For the garlic shrimp:
12 shrimp, de-veined with tails on
2 Tb olive oil
2 Tb unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 Tb lemon juice
salt

To finish:
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt & fresh pepper
 
1 cup wild black rice, cooked as directed on package
Chives, chopped finely for garnish
Parmesan, grated to finish[/one_half][one_half_last padding=”0 0px 0 20px”]Pre-heat oven to 400˚F. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet making sure the tomatoes are cut side up. Roast for 25 minutes rotating the pan half way through. Let cool.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent. About 4-5 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and juices that have accumulated in the pan. Add the paprika, saffron, sugar, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock to the pot. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Bring it up to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes mixing frequently. Let cool for 15 minutes.

Purée the soup using an immersion blender or regular blender working in batches. I like having a slight texture to my soup but purée until you’ve reached your desired consistency.

For the garlic bread crumbs:
Melt the butter and olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the bread crumbs and toss in the pan until coated with the butter and garlic. Toast in the pan for 3-4 minutes until browned nicely. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a sheet pan to allow to cool and crisp. If you leave it in the pan or a bowl, it will steam and become a little soggy.

For the garlic shrimp:
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. About 1 minute. Add the shrimp to the pan making sure there is enough space between them. Do this in batches if needed. Sear shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely pink and just cooked through. Season and toss with salt and lemon juice just before the shrimp comes out of the hot pan.

To Finish and Serve:
Bring the soup back up to a simmer with the lid off. Turn the heat off, add the heavy cream and taste for seasoning. Adjust accordingly.

Place a heaping spoonful of wild rice into the serving bowls. Ladle in the hot soup around the rice. Sprinkle a generous amount of the bread crumbs over the rice and soup. Place 1-2 shrimp into the bowls. Garnish with chopped chives and parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy![/one_half_last]