Saint Andrew Women

African Peanut Soup Recipe

Here's a great version of this recipe which is pureed to be creamy rather than leaving the vegetables in chunks as a stew.

WEST AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP
(from "Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant")

2 cups chopped onion
1 Tblsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cayenne or other ground chiles
1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chopped sweet potatoes
4 cups vegetable stock or water
2 cups tomato juice
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tblsp sugar
chopped scallions
chopped roasted peanuts

Sauté onion in oil until it is transluscent. Stir in cayenne and ginger. Add carrots and sauté a couple minutes more. Mix in potatoes and stock, bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes(until the vegetables are tender). Puree the vegetables with tomato juice (and some of thecooking liquid if necessary) in a blender or food processor. Return the puree to the pot. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Checksweetness and add sugar if necessary. Reheat gently, using a heat difuser if necessary to prevent scorching. Add more water, stock, or tomato juice to make a thinner soup if desired. Serve topped with plenty of chopped scallions and chopped roasted peanuts. Serves 6-8

A nice, different recipe--a little exotic.