Senegalese Peanut Soup

After making this soup, Miso and I marveled at the sheer beauty of this dish.Yes, we marvel at things like this ;) It is truly the most beautiful soup I've ever seen. Instead of being bogged down by too much broth or garlic and onions, you can taste what each vegetable brings to the soup. Mark Bittman is the Man!


4 servings
45 minutes


3/4 cup roasted & shelled peanuts
 2 TBS neutral oil
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 TBS peeled & minced fresh ginger
1 TBS minced garlic
pinch cayenne or more or less to taste
salt & freshly ground pepper
6 cups vegetable stock
2 (about 1 pound) sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and cut into thick slices
8-12 plum tomatoes, cored and halved
1/2 pound collards or kale, washed and cut into wide ribbons
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 can black eyed peas


1. Use the flat side of a wide knife or cleaver or a small food processor to break peanuts into large pieces.
2. Put the oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the peanuts and the cayenne and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir in the stock and the sweet potatoes, bring to  a boil, and turn the heat down to medium-low so that the soup bubbles gently. Partially cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in tomatoes, collards, black eyed peas and peanut butter. Cover and cook until the collards are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve, garnished with the remaining peanuts.


via Mark Bittman How to Cook Everything Vegetarian