Roasted Red Pepper African Peanut Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium size shallot roughly chopped
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
- 2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger or ginger paste
- 4 cloves garlic no need to chop
- 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 14 ounces can fire-roasted tomatoes (1 14-ounce can)
- 14 ounces can coconut milk (1 14-ounce can)
- ½ cup peanut butter I use creamy but crunch will also work
- 12 ounces roasted red peppers (1 12-ounce jar) drained
- 1 large sweet potato 9-10 ounces, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 medium-size carrots about 6-7 ounces, peeled and roughy chopped (I usually use 5-6 ounces of baby carrots, no need to peel!)
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
For the chicken:
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinlless chicken breast
- 1 egg white from one large egg
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 2 teaspoons vinegar I use rice vinegar but any kind of vinegar will work
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
To finish:
- peanuts crushed
- cilantro basil and/or mint leaves, chopped if the leaves are large.
Instructions
For the soup:
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Heat a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and oil and heat until hot and bubbly. Add the chopped onion, shallot, coriander, cumin and chili powder. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the garlic and ginger. Cook for another minute, giving it a stir a few times.
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Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, peanut butter, roasted red peppers, sweet potatoes, carrots, salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat slightly, cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes.
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While the chicken broth mixture is cooking, prepare the chicken (see below).
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After 20 minutes, remove the lid and turn off the heat. Using a regular blender or an immersion blender, puree the mixture until nice and smooth. If using a regular blender, allow the mixture to cool a bit and make sure to vent the lid opening but removing the center cap and covering it a narrow mouth sieve, several thicknesses of paper toweling or a folded dish towel.
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After pureeing, bring the mixture back to a steady simmer then add the chicken and stir to combine and separate the chicken slices. Cover tightly and turn off the heat. Allow the soup to sit for 10 minutes then serve and enjoy!
For the chicken:
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Combine the egg white, cornstarch, vinegar and oil in a medium size bow/ and stir until smooth. Slice the chicken into thin bite-size slices and add it to the egg white mixture. Stir well to coat the chicken and allow the mixture to sit for 15-20 minutes while the broth mixture continues to cook.
To finish:
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You can serve this soup as is or with a scoop of jasmine or basmati rice. Garnish with fresh herbs, salted peanuts and freshly ground black pepper.