African Peanut Soup

The last few days in Chicago have been freezing.  Thursday and Friday we had a funeral and had to be out of the house in the -7 (-33 with windchill) weather.  After the funeral and the cold, we needed some comfort food for dinner on Friday.  I decided to make one of my favorite stews.  Although it has peanut butter, there are no whole peanuts, so I haven't had any problems with it.

African Peanut Soup (adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/african-peanut-soup-recipe/index.html

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder

2 medium onions chopped

4 garlic cloves minced

2 large sweet potatoes (2 pounds) peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks

2 cups of chicken broth

1 28 oz of chopped tomatoes

1 pound of ground turkey

salt and pepper to taste 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup coconut milk

Put oil in the pan on medium heat with the curry powder and stir for one minute.  Add the chopped onions and stir for two minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute.  Add in the sweet potatoes, chicken broth, and tomatoes and boil soup.  Then reduce head and simmer with the top on for 20 to 30 minutes.  

In another pan add the ground turkey and cook thoroughly.   Add salt and pepper to season the turkey.  Then drain the turkey on paper towels on a plate to get the excess oil off.  

Combine ground turkey along with the cayenne, peanut butter and coconut into the soup mixture.  Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.

Although I like this soup (which is much more like a stew) on its own, I've made naan before as a side.  We have added rice to the soup to stretch leftovers and it has worked well.  This is also a great recipe to make, eat for dinner, and freeze since it makes alot and it thaws perfectly.