Carrot Ginger Soup with Roasted Coconut Shrimp

I love soup. I love eating it and I love cooking it. Soups are usually very easy to make and the long simmer helps meld all the flavors together wonderfully. I think this may actually be the best thing I've cooked. Ever. Spicy, warm, healthy--everyone at dinner LOVED this. The only thing that didn't quite fly was the shrimp. I only had baby shrimps on hand, but you really need the big guys to get the roasting right. This recipe comes from Food & Wine.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, coarse chop
4 carrots, chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups chicken broth [I used vegetable broth]
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut milk
Salt and pepper
16 large shrimp shelled
1 1/2 tablespoons flaked coconut
Pinch cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 425°. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger and crushed red pepper and cook for 6 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil, then simmer until the carrots are very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, peanut butter and sesame oil.

In a blender, puree the soup until smooth. Return it to the saucepan and stir in the skim milk and coconut milk. Season the soup with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Toss the shrimp with the coconut, cayenne and remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread the shrimp on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast for 8 minutes, or until pink. Ladle the carrot-ginger soup into warmed bowls and garnish with the coconut shrimp.

Grade: A