West African Sweet Potato & Peanut Soup

This soup is inspired by the classic tomato, sweet potato and peanut soup made in the West African country of Mali.

As a I stepped on the scale this morning, I decided it was time to share my innovative weight-loss plan. You know, as a kind of public service. This ground-breaking plan is sure to get results in a matter of days. The first step is to take two young children, preferably your own, to the local ice skating rink. To achieve optimal effectiveness, make sure that at least one of the kids has no skating experience. As you are teaching the two aspiring Apollo Ohnos to skate, they are bound to fall multiple times. Without bending your knees, grab their hands and haul them to their feet. Be sure to do this at least 5 times each time you circle the ice rink. That should get the job done.

Let's move onto step two. When you wake up the morning after the skating escapade, you will find that your back is a little sore. In an attempt to loosen it, take a brisk 3-mile walk. You are well on your way now. Throughout the day, you will find that your back stiffens to the point of sending spasmodic pain throughout your body. By this point, you should no longer be able to walk. Crawling will likely be the only mode of transportation to get you to the bathroom and back, which will help to build strong shoulder and bicep muscles. The real beauty of this plan, however, is that you will not be able to make it to the fridge. Unless your family is bringing you regular snacks, your calorie consumption will plummet. Voilà - quick and effective weight loss.

All kidding aside, it has been a difficult and uncomfortable week of back pain that is thankfully subsiding (though skating with my kids was really fun, so it was worth it). I am now upright, but am still trying to limit my trips to the fridge. Perhaps I should just concentrate on healthful eating, which is what led me to make this satisfying vegetarian soup. Filled with vegetables, such as sweet potatoes and tomatoes, and protein from chickpeas, this soup could be paired with a green salad for a complete meal.

Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. A chopped medium onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of the onion starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander, ½ cinnamon stick, and a pinch of ground cloves.

Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Chop 3 medium tomatoes, peel and chop 2 sweet potatoes (1 ½ pounds total), and peel and chop 1 large carrot. Add the vegetables to the onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in 5 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and carrots are tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. Using a blender (hand-immersion or regular) or food processor, blend the soup until almost a puree. It may be necessary to do this in a couple of batches.

Return the soup to the pot and stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper, ¼ cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, and 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Whisk until the peanut butter is completely combined into the soup.

Drain and rinse 1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and stir into the soup.

Reheat the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Other soups and stews with peanuts:

Kalyn's Kitchen's West African Chicken & Peanut Stew with Chiles, Ginger & Green Onions
A Veggie Venture's Slow Cooker Peanut Soup
Green Gourmet Giraffe's Curried Cauliflower, Spinach & Peanut Soup

African Tomato & Peanut Soup with Sweet Potato & Chickpeas
Adapted from Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons

1 tablespoon canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ cinnamon stick
1 pinch ground cloves
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 (1 ½ lb. total) sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoon peanut butter
1 can (14 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnishing

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. A chopped medium onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the edges of the onion starts to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon stick, and a pinch of ground cloves. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrot to the onion mixture and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in water and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the sweet potatoes and carrots are tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick. Using a blender (hand-immersion or regular) or food processor, blend the soup until almost a puree. It may be necessary to do this in a couple of batches. Return the soup to the pot and stir in a pinch of cayenne pepper, ¼ cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, and 2 tablespoons peanut butter. Whisk until the peanut butter is completely combined into the soup.

Stir chickpeas into the soup. Reheat the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 4 to 6.

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