Day 15: african peanut soup

I love soup.  I especially love that you make it in one pot so there isn’t a lot of clean-up at the end.  There is nothing better  than to have  a steaming bowl of soup waiting at the end of a long, cold, wet day.  Since we get a lot of those here in the Pacific Northwest soup is always on our menu and I ‘m always looking out for new ones to try.

There are a ton of different versions of this soup floating around on the internet but the one ingredient that is universal is the peanut butter.  It gives the soup it’s rich, creamy consistency and unique flavor.  I make my own curry powder blend for this soup but you could easily use a prepared curry powder to simplify things.  I also like to serve it with a big squeeze of lime and some cilantro, some chopped roasted peanuts would also be a great way to top the soup.

I have to admit that I have some really picky eaters on hand in my house.  My husband is not a fan of vegetables at all.  Ironic, isn’t it?  I would be happy to spend the rest of my days lost in my vegetable garden and I am married to a man that thinks they are fine to look at but not to eat.  When I find a vegetarian recipe that I can get both my husband and son to enjoy eating I know that I have hit the big time.  This is one of those soups, not only is it vegetarian it’s vegan as well.  It’s also really easy to make and I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

African peanut soup

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder

or

• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• pinch of ground cloves

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 7 cups water or vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bunch of collard greens, ribs removed and cut into ribbons
• cilantro for garnish
• lime wedges for garnish

Method:

Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and ginger and cook 4-5 minutes until the onion begins to soften.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two and then add all the spices and tomato paste.  Cook the spices for 2-3 minutes until everything starts to smell toasty and fragrant.

Add the water or vegetable stock and stir well to combine.  In a small bowl add the peanut butter along with a few cups of the stock and mix well until smooth.  Add the peanut butter mixture to the pot along with the tomatoes and sweet potatoes.  Cook stirring occasionally for 10 minutes and then add the collard greens, continue to cook for another 10 – 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the collards are wilted.  Taste and add more salt if desired.  Serve the soup with lime wedges and fresh cilantro.  You can also serve it with rice, quinoa or millet.