AFRICAN PEANUT SOUP
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon peanut oil oil (or high heat oil of choice)
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
5 cups vegetable broth, plus more as needed
¾ cup creamy natural peanut butter*
1 (6 ounce or 170 gram) can tomato paste
1 tablespoon maple syrup (plus more to taste – I sometimes use 2)
1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, diced** (about 20 ounces total weight)
4 cups curly kale leaves, torn into bite sized pieces (about 1 small bunch)
Salt and pepper, to taste
For Serving
Cooked rice
Roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Fresh cilantro
Instructions
Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place over medium heat.
When the oil is hot, add the onion. Sweat the onion, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, cardamom, and cayenne. Cook everything for about 1 minute more, until fragrant.
Add the broth, peanut butter, tomato paste and maple syrup to the pot. Stir well to fully blend everything (a whisk works great here). Add the sweet potato, raise the heat, and bring the liquid to a boil.
Lower the heat and allow the soup to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. You can thin the soup with some extra broth or water if it becomes too thick.
Stir in the kale. You may need to add a bit at a time and let each addition wilt to make room for the next.
Let the mixture continue simmering for 5 to 10 minutes, until the kale is tender and the soup is thick.
Remove the pot from heat and season the soup with salt to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a scoop of rice, chopped peanuts and cilantro. Serve.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition information does not include accompaniments.
*To lighten the soup up a bit, use only ½ cup of peanut butter. For extra rich soup, use a full cup.
**As an alternative to dicing your sweet potato, try slicing it in slabs. When serving the soup, place a couple of slabs in the bottom of each bowl before ladling the soup overtop.
