African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup
Makes around 6 servings | Prep Time 15 minutes | Cook Time 30 minutes
At first glance the main ingredients in this recipe may seem like a totally random (and somewhat odd) combo, but it’s actually a classic Ethiopian soup. It will have your taste buds rockin’ and rollin’ thanks to berbere, an Ethiopian spice mix. Traditional berbere has about thirteen(!) spices; I shortened that down to a more manageable number of spices, but you’ll still get that spicy-sweet-hot tension. The sweet potato here is like the grand marshal of the parade, pulling all those spices and veggies into cohesion to provide a sensational experience.
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat, then add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, paprika, and cayenne and sauté for 1 minute more. Stir in the tomatoes with their juice and the peanut butter. Pour in 1⁄2 cup of the broth to deglaze the pot, stirring to loosen any bits stuck to the bottom, and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.
Stir in the sweet potatoes, 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt, and the remaining 51⁄2 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Ladle 3 cups of the soup into a blender and process for 1 minute, or until velvety smooth. Stir the blended mixture back into the soup and cook over low heat just until heated through. Stir in the lime juice. Taste; you may want to add a generous pinch of salt or a bit more lime juice. Serve garnished with the cilantro and peanuts, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reprinted with permission from Clean Soups by Rebecca Katz
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
Sea salt
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon ground allspice 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1⁄8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
6 cups Magic Mineral Broth (page 35)
2 pounds garnet yams (sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon freshly squeeezed lime juice, plus more if needed
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
1⁄2 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish