Since this pandemic began many of us have been spending more time than usual on social media and have been ordering more stuff on line.  I must admit, I am guilty.  I came across an ad for The Fresh Chili Company on line and the recipe for this shrimp ceviche.  The recipe sounded great.   The ingredients in their chili sauce are red chile purée, water, salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion and citric acid.  No chemicals or other ingredients that I can’t identify or pronounce.  So I placed an order for two jars, a mild red and a medium red. The turn around time was good and they kept me posted regarding my order.

Years ago my daughter gave me a book called 100 Words for Foodies.  It defines ceviche as raw fish marinated in lime or lemon juice with olive oil and spices and served as an appetizer.  Gazpacho is defined as a chilled soup usually made with chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, peppers, and herbs.  So I’m not sure this recipe would be considered a true ceviche (although that’s what the Fresh Chili Company called it) because the shrimp is cooked when you add it to the other ingredients.  I guess it’s kind of a hybrid.  A little bit ceviche and a little bit gazpacho and maybe needs a name all it’s own.  I’ll have to think about that.  But, doesn’t matter what you call it, it was easy to make and very tasty.  Perfect for hot summer days when you don’t want to turn the stove or oven on and you want to eat something cool and refreshing.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of jumbo shrimp

1/4 cup Abuela’s traditional red chili sauce (I used medium)

2 stalks of celery sliced thin

1 English cucumber chopped

1/2 onion chopped

2 avocados chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup cilantro chopped

juice from one orange

juice from two limes

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup V-8 or tomato juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

I used raw shrimp and peeled and cooked it, but there is no reason you couldn’t use shrimp that is already cooked.  And it also doesn’t need to be jumbo shrimp because you are going to chop the shrimp.  So, if you are using raw shrimp, your first job is to cook it and then chill it.

Chop all of the vegetables and the cilantro.

Juice your citrus.

Combine the chili sauce, citrus juices, tomato sauce, and tomato juice or V-8.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Dice your shrimp.  You can save a few whole shrimp for garnish if you’d like.

Add the shrimp and the vegetables and herbs to the tomato liquid, stir well, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Serve up your ceviche/gazpacho with a wedge of lime and a couple of whole shrimp for garnish.  We enjoyed every bite.

NOTE:  I was missing one key ingredient.  Avocados.  I almost always have avocados and last night I had none.  It was excellent without them butI think it would have been even better with them because avocados have such rich, buttery goodness.

Also, depending on your heat tolerance, you might want to add some jalapeño to the mix.  The medium chili sauce has a little kick but was perfect for me.  This recipe served three of us with enough left over for a couple more bowls.  It was actually quite filling.

As with all recipes, combine what you have on hand in your pantry and fridge with a little imagination.