West African Peanut Soup

"A Moosewood recipe. I haven't tried it, but this is supposed to be rich and spicy. Don't skip the chopped scallions or chives!"
 
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photo by Sharon123 photo by Sharon123
photo by Sharon123
photo by Sharon123 photo by Sharon123
Ready In:
45mins
Ingredients:
11
Serves:
6-8
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ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped onions
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 12 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh gingerroot
  • 1 cup chopped carrot
  • 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes (up to 1 cup white potatoes can be substituted)
  • 4 cups vegetable stock or 4 cups water
  • 2 cups tomato juice
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
  • 1 cup chopped scallions or 1 cup chives
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directions

  • Saute the onions in oil until just translucent.
  • Stir in the cayenne and ginger.
  • Add the carrots and saute a couple more minutes.
  • Mix in the potatoes and stock.
  • Bring the soup to a boil and then simmer for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
  • In a blender or food processor, puree the vegetables with the cooking liquid and the tomato juice.
  • Return the puree to the soup pot. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth.
  • Taste the soup. Its sweetness will depend on the sweetness of the carrots and sweet potatoes. If it is not naturally sweet, add just a little sugar to enhance the other flavors.
  • Reheat the soup gently, using a heat diffuser if needed to prevent scorching.
  • Add more water, stock, or tomato juice for a thinner soup.
  • Serve topped with plenty of chopped scallions or chives.

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Reviews

  1. Really good! I especially appreciated the fact that the creaminess came from vegetables rather than a milk product. It results in a lower-calorie dish, which is great. I left the lid on for most of the cooking, as I wanted more volume in the final soup. I just used a potato masher to mash up most of the vegetables, given that I don't have a blender of any kind. I used low-salt V8 juice instead of tomato juice.
     
  2. Absolutely delicious, easy and cheap. I recommend using an immersion blender if you have one, it's a lot easier than dumping the soup back and forth between your blender and pot. I also top this soup with some chopped peanuts as a garnish in addition to the green onions.
     
  3. This is a fantastic soup and so easy to prepare. I made it as written, except for omitting the sugar. We didn't think it needed it. Thanks so much for posting.
     
  4. As other reviewers have already covered, this is a great recipe as is. It is also a great starting point if you like to experiment with other flavor profiles. For instance you can add a Thai curry paste, with or without a can of coconut milk, and top with Thai basil and bean sprouts for a Thai curry. (You can skip the PB or leave it in.) Or you can leave out the PB, add some Indian spices, and top with paneer or crispy tofu for a riff on Indian curry. It's a very versatile base to play with.
     
  5. Low calorie and amazing!! Made exactly as written but did not need the sugar.
     
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