Paella Soup

Soup is one of my favorite things to eat, and Paella is my favorite Spanish dish, so when I found a recipe for Paella Soup in my mom's Sunday Soup cookbook, I had to try it. It is very tasty and filling. This is a meal in itself, paired with some dinner rolls. It is definitely going to be a regular in my house now!

One note, I had a little bit of a hard time finding Spanish chorizo sausage. It's not the same as Mexican chorizo, but I actually ended up finding it at a Mexican supermarket. It comes pre-packaged and will say "Product of Spain" right on it.

Paella Soup

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped carrot

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup long-grain white rice

1/4 tsp. saffrom threads, crushed

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 cups chicken stock

1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more if needed

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 lb. large uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined

3 oz. Spanish chorizo sausage, cut into thin rounds or diced

1 cup fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup diced cooked chicken, preferably white mean (optional, also can use rotisserie chicken from the supermarket to save time)

2 tsp. chopped fresh chives

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan set over medium heat. When hot, add onion, carrot and celery, and saute until softened for 3 to 4 minutes.

Add rice, saffron, wine and stock and bring to a simmer. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Bring mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat. Cover and cook at simmer until vegetables and rice are soft, for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Puree the soup in batches in a food processor, blender, or food mill, and return soup to the pot. (Or use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot.) Stir in the cream. (Soup can be prepared to this point 1 day ahead; cool, cover, and refrigerate.)

Set soup over low heat and, when mixture comes to a simmer, add shrimp, chorizo, peas, and, if desired, chicken. Cook until shrimp have turned pink and curled, for about 3 mintues. Do not overcook or shrimp will become tough. Taste soup and season with salt, as needed.

To serve, ladle soup into 4 bowls and garnish with a sprinkle of chives.