Peanuts O’Toole

From Jeanine O’Toole

Otherwise known as African Peanut Soup, Jeanine came up with this version after trying a couple of different recipes floating around out there. It was great; very peanutty, but skirting the trap of tasting too like just plain “peanut butter soup.” You can add more red pepper if you like your peanuts extraspicy.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 med-large yellow, finely diced
3-4 large minced garlic cloves
1 chili pepper, diced finely w/ seeds, or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper peppers, diced
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes w/ juice
8 cups mild vegetable broth (not too salty)
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
9 ounces creamy peanut butter (add more to make a rich stew)
chopped roasted peanuts and/or chopped cilantro for garnish

Preparation

Heat oil in a large stock pot, over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic, and chili pepper about 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and bell peppers. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, and pepper. Simmer uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Add rice to soup and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is tender (20 minutes). Stir in peanut butter and return to a simmer til it blends, and serve.Garnish with chopped peanuts and/or cilantro.