This vegetarian peanut soup is a favorite food recipe in West Africa, and my version is quite traditional.
This Beninese cuisine is known throughout Africa for its exotic ingredients and delicious dishes.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups vegetable soup
- 1 can (15 ounces) of coconut milk
- ½ cups chopped yellow onion
- 4 scallion, chopped
- ½ cup de-stringed sliced celery
- Celery leaves, chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric, peeled and grated (if not available, use ginger)
- 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes (1/2 inch pieces)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) of diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
- 1 ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ tablespoon of smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon Maggi spices
- 1 ½ tablespoon of a mixture of spices Berbere (preferably) or curry powder
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
- Fresh cilantro
- canned or soaked dried chickpeas
- chopped red pepper
- ground peanuts for garnish.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put the vegetable stock in a 3 quarter pot over medium heat.
- Add all remaining ingredients except peanut butter, cilantro, and chickpeas and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Take out about 1 cup of liquid and put it in a small bowl.
- Add the peanut butter and stir until creamy.
- Return the mixture to the pot, mix well, add cilantro and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Use an immersion blender and puree the soup until smooth.
- Garnish with crushed peanuts, chickpeas, chopped cilantro, and chopped red bell pepper before serving.
