Gulf Shrimp, Mushroom and Wild Rice Soup

* We make many great soups but this one ranks at the near the top of my list.
* Use wild gulf shrimp for the best flavor though a good second choice is "Laughing Bird" white shrimp.This is a farmed white shrimp from Belize that is very sweet.
* I prefer to use smaller shrimp so that there are more pieces in the soup, a shrimp in every bite!

Ingredients

Wild Rice

* 2/3 cup wild rice
* 1 3/4 cup water
* 1 teaspoon salt

Soup Base

* 5 tablespoons butter
* 10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
* 10 ounces shitake mushrooms, sliced
* 3 tablespoons fresh garlic, finely chopped
* 3 cups onions, diced
* 2 cups red peppers, diced
* 2 cups carrots, diced
* 1 cup celery, diced
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/2 cup sherry
* 1 cup half and half
* 64 ounces vegetable broth.(We like Imagine brand, No Chicken broth.)
* 2 pounds small(40-50 count)gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
* 2 teaspoons herbed sea salt
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions

* In a saucepan with a lid, combine wild rice ingredient. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot with lid and cook for 45 minutes.
* While rice cooks make the soup. Saute in melted butter all vegetables for about 10 minutes on medium high. Add salt and pepper, stir to combine. Add stir well into veggie mixture for about 3 minutes. pour in veggie broth, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. In a separate fry pan, heat olive oil to medium hot. Sprinkle herbed salt over shrimp. Quick saute for 3 minutes, remove from heat.Drain rice. Add rice, shrimp and sherry to soup, cook for 1 minute. Add half and half, stir and serve.
* Serves about 8 people. Enjoy!