The mind is truly a miraculous thing to waste. The things that I forget can shock me. For instance, for several summers when I was clothes shopping, I’d say to myself in the parking lot, “You’re going to buy something other than a black V-neck tee shirt.”
And then I’d walk back out of the store with only a black V-neck tee shirt that I found on the sale rack and nothing else. It got to the point where I needed a shopping buddy so I’d pick up the thing I actually needed, and not just another tee shirt. “Please help me remember I need an autumn dress for my cousins wedding!”
The same thing can happen with dinner. I can look in the cupboard and see canned tomatoes, peanut butter, tomato paste, chicken broth, and think, “Oh, man? What can I do with that?”
But, then sometimes the clouds in my brain clear. The fog lifts. The metaphorical sun peeks over the horizon, and I think, “African peanut soup!”
Because at its heart, this soup is the ultimate pantry meal that only needs two fresh ingredients (and maybe only one if your freezer is well stocked.)
And I always forget how much I love it, until I remember how much I love it.
It’s spicy. It’s gingery. It’s both filling and light. It’s healthy, but a little decadent. It’s beautiful, and it’s the perfect weeknight meal.
That’s a big lift for a crock of soup, but African peanut soup handles it without breaking a sweat! (Although, depending on how hot you make it, you may have little beads of sweat on your upper lip. But I digress.)
Also, it’s a customizable meal that plays well with leftovers. Do you have some shredded chicken? Throw it in! Do you have a can of chickpeas? Toss them into the mix!
The main thing is just to remember to make it.
Even if you’re wearing a black V-neck tee shirt when you really needed a new pair of socks.
Substitutions and Tips:
- Jedd happened to find a massive bag of kale on sale, so that’s what I used here. But, if you have frozen spinach in your freezer, that would be perfect too!
- Normally I think grated ginger is perfect for nearly every application. But, in this soup I think diced ginger is better. Biting into a spicy chunk of it feels on brand here.
- I used 2 jalapenos for an extra kick of heat and vitamin C because I was fighting off a cold. But one is probably just fine.
- This recipe makes a LOT of soup. Which is perfect, because it freezes well. Think of it as a present from yourself to yourself.
- Oh, and I got fancy and used a wedge cutter for the sweet potatoes because it was a birthday present and I’m wedge cutting everything I can get my hands on!
So, raid your pantry and get chopping! You’ve got an amazing meal to make.
African Peanut Soup with Kale
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium sweet potato diced
- 3 stalks of celery diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 medium jalapenos seeded, deveined and diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon hot smoked paprika
- 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 14.5 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes
- 3 cups roughly chopped kale or 1 (12 oz.) bags of frozen spinach
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
Garnishes
- Chopped peanuts
- Roughly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until it shimmers.
- Add the sweet potato, celery, carrots, and onions to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes, or until the sweet potato is softened.
- Add the ginger, tomato paste, jalapenos, cumin, and smoked paprika to the pot, and stir well for 1 minute.
- Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, and peanut butter. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Add the greens to the pan, and stir well.
- Simmer for 5 minutes, or until completely wilted.
- Divide the soup between bowls, and garnish.
- To store: Refrigerate for 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Or, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.