I was looking to make a shrimp soup with some hot pepper sausage, but had none. I couldn’t tell if a frozen patty of meat was either ground beef or sausage. I think it was ground beef, and pairing that with shrimp is unusual for me, but this soup turned out wonderfully. I would make this again. *And currently am.

Ingredients

• 10 Medium shrimp (41-50 count per pound):
• 3 oz. Ground Beef (or Hot Pork Sausage)
• 3 Tbl. Diced Onion
• 1/3 Cup Red Lentils
• 1 Tbl. Pearled Barley
• 1 Cup Chicken Broth (homemade or GV brand)
• Water to thin soup if necessary
• 3 oz. Assorted Peppers (Aji Dulces, Brazil Starfish, Chilaca, Trinidad Perfume)
• 4 Tbl. Cilantro (chopped and/or raw baby spinach)
• 1 Campari Tomato (medium, diced)
• 2 Cloves Garlic (diced)
• 0.5 Tsp. Cumin (ground)
• 0.5 Tsp. Turmeric (ground)
• 0.5 Tsp. Italian Herbs
• 0.25 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
• 0.25 Tsp. Fenugreek (ground)
• 0.25 Tsp. Garlic (powder)
• S&P
• 1 Tsp. Bacon Grease
• 0.5 oz. Tortilla Strips (for garnish)

ADDENDUM[]: I have tried adding various items to the above and they don’t make it any better, and maybe even make it not as good. Do not add the following:

• Carrots
• Pasta

[end]

Looks like this makes enough for two servings, but if it’s really good, then maybe a serving and a half.

I did this soup “on the fly” and it turned out really well, and then I had to go back and try to remember all the ingredients I put into it. *I had bought a bunch of peppers at Ronnie Moore’s Stand at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh on Saturday. They finally had all three of the “exotic” peppers I had enjoyed about 3 years ago: Brazilian Starfish, Trinidad Perfume and Biquinho Peppers. All three of these are basically mild and distinctly flavored peppers, but the Brazilian Starfish has sweet flesh, but hot seeds. *It almost looks like a curry, but it’s not. I guess though if you have cumin, turmeric and garlic all in, then you are going to get that appearance. *Odd, I am making this for at least the third time, but this time I had Hot Jamestown Sausage instead of ground beef. Odd? The soup pictured below has an almost milky look to the broth, but the one I am currently fixing has a darker, thinner broth. I double checked and I didn’t add any half-n-half to the original recipe. I just checked, and it may be the turmeric taking over and making the broth look orange. But, this soup is delicious again. Sort of an understated earthiness, with a little heat.

08/23/25: Yet again, and I get better at making it, and it is so delicious. I had some wonton strips and some blue corn tortilla chips and both were good. Some ciabatta bread would go well also. The pearled barley gives a chewiness. Added both cilantro and some fresh baby spinach.

09/08/25: Again, but with hot sausage, and didn’t add any spinach. I had a poblano so I roasted that in the oven and then chopped it up and put it in the broth. Not sure, but might work with garbanzo beans to provide more heft and maybe doesn’t need the shrimp. I think the secret to this soup is the turmeric. That provides the earthy bite for the soup. The little bit of pearled barley provides some chewiness. I also think the small amount of tomato is necessary.

Yesterday, Saturday, was the end of “Move In” Week for the NC State students so the Farmers Market was packed with people and few parking spaces. They were even parking on the unpaved areas.

After the Farmers Market I headed to Wegmans, but took the route I normally do, just not stopping in at Whole Foods (very unusual not to stop there). I think it was about the time I was turning on to Wake Forest Road, that I brushed my eye with my hand and some of the Capsaicin from the Brazillian Starfish pepper that I had eaten got in my left eye. Almost immediately it closed and I tried to make sure I didn’t close the other one too.

I went into Wegmans and as I did I noted that not only was my eye irritated, but my nose was beginning to run and be irritated. I walked my short look through the vegetable section and picked up a package of “Flavor Bombs.” I then went around to the bakery section, and first chose a Ciabatta Roll and put it in it’s own bag. Then walked down to the bagels and got a Blueberry Bagel and put it in a bag. Then on with a brief tour of the cheese counters, and around to where the Wegmans White American Cheese is located and got a package that was a little more than $3. I think the $3 range is what they shoot for in slicing and packing this cheese. I think it has better flavor than the Harris Teeter brand.

As I passed by an aisle display, I picked up one can of Garbanzo and one can of Cannellini Beans @ $.79. I didn’t need them, but it’s habit and they were only 79 cents a can. I walked down a couple of other aisles, but really wasn’t looking for anything and then headed over to the aisle that had the Zero Sugar Snapple Peach Tea. It’s only $2.99, I like the flavor, and the first time I bought it, I was looking for a cheap drink to have out in my car, for lunch as I made a sandwich from my Wegmans purchases. A little Dukes Mayo on one of their Ciabatta Rolls, then add some deli meat (Pastrami, Ham or Turkey) and then some of their White American Cheese. Just that makes a good sandwich.

As I was at the checkout, the clerk, a tall youngish black man, asked if everything was alright. I don’t think he meant anything about my appearance, but just the way he said it, and there was a man behind me in line, I said, “Well actually, if I hadn’t bought some peppers and then stuck my finger in my eye, I would be alright.” That gave me the opportunity to briefly share that I had bought some peppers at the Farmers Market, and then got the heat in one eye. The man behind me spoke up about not being able to get that off your hand, and I agreed that no matter how much you washed your hands some still stayed on them. As I started to walk off, I looked back and both he (the other customer) and I wished each other a “Have a good day.” *That was probably the most rewarding part of this visit to Wegmans. It’s nice to find friendly people to “play with” during recess. The World would be a better place if we all could get along as well.

I was watching a commercial and the announcer asks the question, “What’s the difference between opening a giant can of Whup Ass and a tiny can of Half Assed?” I was thinking about this phrase yesterday and couldn’t quite get what it was. Glad I just saw it again about 12:25 am.