These past few weeks have slowly begun to look like spring. The trees are blossoming with little pink flowers, there’s usually around an hour of sunlight per day (followed by 9 hours of misty rain…it’s still Seattle), and the daylight lasts a little longer into the evening. It’s got me excited for the upcoming warmer weather! This recipe was a nice way to prepare for summer. It tasted fresh and zesty because of the tomato and lemon, and also beach-y because of the seafood. Everyone loved it! It’s definitely going to be a new regular, alongside a glass of wine and some warm sunsets.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• A 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 4 cups of water
• 1/2 cup of wild rice
• 1 cup of milk (I used unsweetened cashew milk, but coconut or almond will work too)
• 1 pound of cooked shrimp, shelled and tails removed
• Juice from 1 medium lemon
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• Salt to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions

1. Chop the onion and bell pepper into small pieces (the smaller the better).
2. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large soup pot and saute the garlic and chopped veggies until they’re softened.
3. Add the wild rice, diced tomatoes, and water. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the rice is soft.
4. Turn the heat down to medium low and stir in the milk. Add the shrimp, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and lemon juice.
5. Top it all off with some fresh chopped parsley and a lemon slice to garnish.