West African-style Peanut Soup

The eating frenzy of fall has finally come to a close. Whew. For me it all begins in October with my oldest daughter’s birthday. It goes downhill two weeks later with Halloween (I read recently that 88% of all adults “steal” candy from their children’s candy stash. I’m certainly guilty.) And, then of course, the mother lode: Thanksgiving. Followed by, drum roll please: December. The month where it seems every time I turn around someone is either handing me a drink (thank goodness) or a festive cookie or a big slice of gooey cheese. Not to mention my own efforts in the kitchen where I’m pumping out sugar-laden and butter-rich cookies and rum soaked cakes and cheese heavy entrees.

So, when January 1 comes rolling I just can’t wait to go cold turkey on this parade of food. To go from a 2,000+ calorie a day diet to 800 calories a day seems not only like a bad idea, but dangerous. Falling off the diet-wagon is a sure bet. This is problematic. I need to eat lower on the food chain, but I’m desiring something that not only satisfies, but also is really, really tasty. I know that for me nothing truly satisfies like that piece of gently warmed brie on a fresh slice of French bread, or the pink, plump shrimp skewered and dipped in a tangy cocktail sauce, but I have to find something moderately healthy to eat. The idea of thinking that I’ll eat something austere like miso soup for the next week seems like a good idea on paper, but in reality, I need to ease off of the holiday food scene with something a bit more substantial. But, I need to feel virtuous and pure, too.

Where to turn?

Soup. It’s always my answer for nearly any ailment: binge eating, binge drinking, bad colds, too hot days, too cold days. It’s kinda like the egg – it’s perfect food. And, luckily there are so many soup recipes that it’s easy to find at least one that can satisfy you all the way down to your toes.

I created this soup because I love the taste of peanut butter with a spicy kick. I spent some time in various countries in West Africa when I was younger and found this taste combination quite frequently while traveling. Not only do you benefit from the protein and “good fats” found in the peanut butter, but you also come out ahead with the abundance of sweet potatoes which contain high levels of beta-carotene and the tomatoes that are packed with the antioxidant lycopene. In addition, it’s incredibly satisfying and easy to whip-up after work.

The key to this soup is to make all of your veggies fairly uniform in size for quick cooking. I like fairly small diced vegetables in this soup (think slightly bigger than a kernel of corn).

West African-style Peanut Soup

1 onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup fresh ginger, peeled minced

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

2 serrano chiles, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1, 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 veggie boullion cube

¼ cup natural peanut butter (don’t use peanut butter that has sugar added to it)

2 cups water

1 block of firm tofu or 1 lb. cooked chicken, cubed

Sea Salt

In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil. Add onion, garlic, ginger. Sauté until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato and chiles, cook for 3 more minutes or until sweet potato starts to soften. Next add tomatoes, boullion cube and peanut butter. Let cook until peanut butter melts into vegetable and tomato mixture. Add water. If you like a thinner soup, add more water. If you like it thicker, like a stew, add a little less. Still well and bring to a boil. After soup boils, add tofu or cooked chicken. You can eat it right away, or let simmer for up to two hours.

Serve over brown or white rice. Or, plain with a whole wheat flour tortilla warmed up.

Makes 6 hearty servings.