Moroccan Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Soup

I haven't really cooked a wild recipe dish in awhile, so with the fiance out of town at a seminar, I figured it was the best time to destroy the kitchen! Enter, peanut butter soup. Now you may be wondering, what sort of person thinks that making a peanut butter soup is a good idea? I mean, there would be so many more flavourful dishes out there, a peanut butter soup shouldn't be high on anyone's list.

Well for that, we need to once again go waaay back into the past. (Cue Wayne's World Time Travel Music) (Actually, you can use Back to the Future's theme as well if you wish, that is equally as awesome).

Once a year, my family would take a semi-vacation to a family friend's cabin. We'd have a beautiful time of boating, badminton, chocolate chip cookies, trampoline adventures and of course, the glorious campfire at the end of the night. Actually, this was the first time the campfire pie was introduced to me! Did you see THAT??? (Inside joke, don't worry about it dear readers). It was always a good time out at the cabin, and I have very fond memories of it, and its residents, even today!

One of the best parts of this semi-vacation, was the food that was served. Between the snacks, happy-hours, appetizers, and late night snacks, I was fairly stuffed from the time of our arrival to our departure. What's a better vacation than that? So one time, I can remember chowing down on a delicious dinner, although for some reason I can't remember quite what it was, but I do recall being absolutely amazed. I even looked at the cookbook after dinner. The family that we visited had also brought up that they had made this really tasty soup...you guessed it, an African peanut butter soup. I had never actually tried it, but I remember writing down the recipe, which unfortunately had all but vanished once we got home.

So now whenever I see a peanut butter soup recipe, I remember that extremely odd moment. It's strange how you can remember those little details, but I can't even remember what we had for dinner that night! I guess peanut butter soup made a profound impression upon me.

(Cue Return to Present music)

So this recipe comes from the cookbook Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen, and I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe! Definitely some tasty undertones and flavours, its not all peanut butter folks! It's also easy and cheap to make, so it will definitely be going into my "make again" recipe collection. I really hope you like it!


Moroccan Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Soup

Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Coriander - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Honey - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp
Raw Peanuts - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1, diced
Garlic - 4 cloves, minced
Chicken Broth - 6 cups (Or the four cups in a small container and a cup or two of water)
Sweet Potato - 1 large, grated
Peanut Butter - 1/2 cup
Salt - a healthy pinch
Pepper - a FEW healthy pinches

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a small bowl, whisk together the first list of spices. Set aside 1 tsp for later. Set the rest aside to add to the soup.

In a small pot or sauce pan, add the honey and butter and bring to a boil. Add the raw peanuts and stir, until all the peanuts are well coated. Lay some aluminium foil on a baking sheet and spread the peanuts on in a single layer. Roast in the oven, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes. The honey should have caramelized on the onions and created a tasty snack (Good on their own!) Place the peanuts in a small bowl and toss with the reserved tsp of spices to coat them.

Now the soup! Add some olive oil (about 1-2 tbsps) to a large soup pot (I recommend using a stock pot) and heat over medium high heat. Add the onions, garlic and the remaining spices and saute until the onions are soft (about 10 minutes). Add the grated sweet potato, peanut butter and stock. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Stir occasionally for about 15 minutes or until the sweet potato is tender.

Bust out the immersion blender, food processor, or blender and puree until smooth. For smoother results, run the soup through a fine strainer. Add the reserved peanuts and a pinch of salt and some pepper. Enjoy!!