As I make a modified vegan diet my lifestyle (I say modified because I eat seafood at least once a week) the search for delicious recipes is essential. I cannot abide by food that doesn’t taste good – I enjoy food too much to endure a lifetime of bland, tasteless food.
I decided to start experimenting with soups since one-pot meals are easy and the weather is cold. I searched for soups that include two of my favorite foods – black-eyed peas and sweet potatoes – and came across a few recipes. However, when I found one from the Gluten-Free Goddess website that included natural peanut butter, I got excited. Peanut butter is another favorite of mine since its flavor satisfies both a sweet and savory craving. I made a big pot of this, and my meat-eating hubby tasted it and went back for seconds, in spite of me tempting him with my famous turkey burgers. Try this with a good cornbread muffin – you just might like it.
African Sweet Potato Soup with Peanut Butter, Black-Eyed Peas and Beans
1 tablespoon light olive oil or peanut oil
1 tablespoon red or green Thai Kitchen curry paste
– hot or mild, to taste (start with less if you prefer it mild)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium red onion, peeled, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet potato or yam, peeled, diced
1 large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 jalapeño or other hot chile pepper, seeded, diced fine
1 14-oz. can black-eyed peas, rinsed, drained
1 14-oz. can white beans
, rinsed, drained
1 14-oz. can black beans
, rinsed, drained
1 quart light broth
1/2 cup 100% natural peanut butter melted in a half cup of boiled hot water (for one cup total)
1/2 teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 1 big juicy lime
2-3 teaspoons organic brown sugar or raw agave nectar, to taste
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
For garnish:
Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Heat the light olive oil in large soup pot. Add the curry paste and cinnamon; stir for a minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, yellow pepper and jalapeño. Stir and cook the veggies for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
Add the black-eyed peas, white and black beans, broth, melted peanut butter, red pepper flakes and cilantro.
Bring the soup to a high simmer, cover, and lower the heat; keep the soup on simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Stir in the lime juice and brown sugar or agave. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Warm through and taste for seasoning adjustments.
