Spicy Peanut and Sweet Potato Soup

I’ve been wanting to make a sweet potato and peanut soup for a while now, but for some reason hadn’t gotten around to it until I saw this recipe and bam! I needed that in my belly yesterday.

Let think about this – sweet potatos are awesome, peanut butter is awesome, spiciness is awesome, and lentils are tasty. How could this recipe go wrong? Easy, it didn’t.

It’s a very thick soup, so feel free to stir in some extra water after you blend everything together. But make sure you top with peanut – they really add an extra dimension!

Spicy Peanut and Sweet Potato Soup

Barely Adapted from For the Love of Food 

I didn’t have tomato paste when I made this and thought it tasted fine without it. Add it if you have it, but don’t freak out if you don’t have it on hand and don’t want to buy it. I also used chunky peanut butter instead of creamy and thought it tasted great.


EDIT: Updates from Betty Crocker (aka "Mom") herself - to make sure you don't run into any discoloration or odd tastes the next day (which may or may not have happened to one blogger), take the following steps: use red lentils instead of brown (pictured), try chicken broth instead of vegetable (though this makes the soup non-vegan and non-vegetarian), and add a tablespoon of lemon juice before serving.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 1/2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of red pepper flakes

2 medium sweet potatoes, chopped

3/4 cup lentils, dry (red are best)

3 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
Tablespoon lemon juice

Equipment

Large pot, immersion blender or blender

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté about 3 minutes.  Add ginger and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, until fragrant.  Stir in tomato paste, peanut butter, turmeric, cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Add sweet potatoes, lentils, and vegetable broth.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer over medium-low heat for about 20 to 30 minutes. Sweet potatoes should be tender to the touch.

Blend the soup by using an immersion blender or transfering it to a regular blender. (If using a regular blender, be very careful as the steam can sometimes cause the lid to blow off.  I recommend allowing the soup to cool for a few minutes, then blending small batches on medium speed while holding the lid down with a large pot holder or towel in my hand).  Add a bit of water if the soup is too thick.  Serve hot and garnish with chopped peanuts.  

Serves 4-5