Shrimp & White Bean Soup

You know the day... the kind where all you want to do is get home, pull on some fuzzy socks, and veg out on the couch. On top of all that, you end up running around like a crazy person after work, which is keeping you from your fuzzy socks, and by the time you get home you don't feel like eating much less cooking.

Yes, that is the type of day that inspired this dish. The "I-don't-know-what-to-make-for-dinner" was complicated by "I-don't-want-to-eat-dinner." My boyfriend and I spent almost two hours after I got off work running to different stores looking for firewood that should have been laced with gold but wasn't, fighting traffic, and meeting dead end after dead end. We got home, he didn't say more than three words to me, and we just sat on the couch playing games on our phones. By 8:00 he was passed out on the couch and I was finally starting to feel hungry.

Needless to say, I wasn't about to spend an hour cooking. I dug through the cupboards and refrigerator looking for something that might come together. I had white beans and shrimp. I did a Google search for those ingredients and came up with squat. I mean, there were a few recipes, but nothing that would come together in less than an hour.

Lime, chili and coconut go well with shrimp, so I thought I might be able to pull something off. It turned out better than I could have hoped. He didn't want to eat at all, so that left more for me for lunch!

Ingredients:
1 can Great Northern beans
1/2 pkg frozen cocktail shrimp (about a cup)
1-2 T. chili powder
1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk
1-2 tsp lime juice (I used bottled, but use fresh if you have it)
10 drops liquid smoke
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
Sea salt & ground black pepper

Directions:
Drain beans, reserving liquid (do not rinse). Thaw shrimp in a wire mesh strainer under hot running water. Combine all ingredients (except reserved bean water) in a medium saucepan, stirring well. If you desire a thinner soup, add additional coconut milk or bean water. Check for taste, adding more seasonings if desired. Serve hot.

Makes 2-3 servings.