Written by Meredith Hink MS, RD, CD
Yield: approximately 6 ½ – 7 cups
When the weather starts to turn cool, it’s time to “turn up the heat.” This spicy twist on a traditional soup adds a kick to an otherwise sweet soup.
Ingredients
- 2 stalks celery, diced (1 cup)
- 1 medium green pepper, diced (1 cup)
- ½ medium yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (2 ¼ -2 ½ cups)
- 1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 qt vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp sea salt
- Juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup)
- 3 Tbsp coarsely chopped cilantro
- 1 cup light, unflavored soy milk
- Chopped, unsalted, roasted peanuts (for garnish)
- Cilantro leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
- Combine diced celery, green pepper, and yellow onion in a bowl.
- Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Gradually add celery, green pepper, and yellow onion to oil and heat until soft.
- Microwave sweet potatoes* until soft. Peel away skin and cut into big chunks.
- Add to celery, green pepper, and onion.
- Add sliced jalapeno pepper, vegetable broth, natural peanut butter, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and sea salt. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove bay leaves and add lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Stir to mix, then transfer soup to food processor and process soup to smooth consistency.
- Return to saucepan or Dutch oven. Add soymilk and stir until mixed.
- Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro.
*Prep sweet potatoes by washing them thoroughly, cutting slits in them with a knife, and wrapping them in wet paper towel. Some microwaves have special settings for baking potatoes. If your microwave does not, set the sweet potatoes to heat on high for about 5 ½ minutes.