Although traditionally made with lime (you can do just that), Mayer’s lemons add a touch of flavor to this classic Mexican soup with shrimp, garlic and plenty of fresh cilantro. Mayer’s lemons are usually available during the winter months and are rounder and softer than regular lemons. Serve the soup with a large salad or as a special snack.
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 4 cups lightly salted chicken stock
- 1 medium onion, halved
- 2 jalapenos, peeled, chopped into 4 pieces
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
- 3 tablespoons minced Mayer lemon zest (see “tips”)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 cm cinnamon stick
- 4 whole heads of garlic
- 450 gr. raw shrimp (26-30), peeled
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (see tips)
- 1 / 2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (to taste)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preparation:
1. Place onion, broth, pepper, garlic, zest, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, heads of garlic in a large cauldron, then bring everything to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, continue cooking for another 20 minutes.
Strain the broth (we don’t need the rest)
2. Pour the broth back into the cauldron, bring to a boil. Add shrimp, lemon juice, salt and hot sauce, cook until shrimp is firm, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
Tips and Notes:
Tip # 1: Pour the stock (step 1) into a container and store it in the freezer for 3 months. Bring the broth to a boil before doing step 2.
Tip # 2: Meyer lemons can be bought from online stores on the Internet. Nothing replaces the tart-sweet taste of Mayer lemon, but you can try using 2 teaspoons of regular lemon juice + 1 teaspoon of orange juice and regular lemon zest.
Nutritional value:
Per serving: 99 calories; 1 gr. fat; 143 mg cholesterol; 0 gr. carbohydrates; 19 gr. squirrel; 0 gr. fiber; 1488 mg sodium; 354 mg of potassium.
Vitamin C (15% DV)