African Peanut Soup with Grains of Paradise
- Details
This West African soup recipe combines sweet potatoes and peanut butter with Grains of Paradise. The flavors balance beautifully and are a wonderful showcase for this exotic spice. This mythical African spice has a mild peppery taste with floral top notes that hint at ginger and cardamom. The soup is creamy, mild and not at all heavy, making it a wonderful starter or side.
Grains of Paradise Peanut Soup
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons whole Indian coriander
- 1 teaspoon grains of paradise
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced thin
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- Fried shallots or onions for garnish
Instructions
- In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, toast the Indian coriander and grains of paradise, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl an allow to cool. Grind in a mortar & pestle or electric mill.
- In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onion, salt and sugar and allow to cook about 5-7 minutes until translucent and aromatic. Add the garlic and 2 teaspoons of the spice mix and cook about 30 seconds more.
- Add the sweet potatoes, vegetable broth, water and peanut butter and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sweet potatoes are fork tender, about 25 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly. Working in batches so the blender is never more than half full, transfer the soup to a countertop blender and puree until smooth.
- Return the soup to the pot and warm gently before serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of fried onions and a sprinkle of the remaining spice mix.
Notes
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated
Looking to make a meal? Check out our other African recipes for something to pair it with!
1 Comment
Leave a Comment
Brining Basics
Every year, as we head into the holiday season, people begin to ask us about brining their turkeys. Is it worth the extra hassle? Does it really lead to a juicier bird? Well, we’re happy …
Spiced Fig Salad
For the next meeting of our World Spice Cookbook Club, we’re embracing the warm weather with Salmagundi: A Celebration of Salads from around the World. This recipe for a spiced fig salad, which comes from …
Spicy Fish Salad
The countries in the Persian culinary region are home to many religions, languages, cultures and politics. In culinary traditions, however, they all have a deep love for food that has tart flavors and is fresh …
Chicken Drumsticks with Spices and Coconut Milk
This lovely recipe comes from Béatrice Peltre’s My French Family Table, the World Spice Cookbook Selection for May 2017. This recipe is one of the author’s favorite chicken “go to recipes” for when she needs …
Coriander Roasted Beets
Roasting beets concentrates their flavor, and the complement of coriander is delicious. We like to roast a whole pan-full and serve them alone as a side dish or atop a dark leafy green salad of …
This made a nice couple of dinners for two. Even better the second night. I started with unroasted ground Indian coriander, and we toasted the grains of paradise as directed before grinding with a mortar and pestle. And we added partially mashed garbanzos for a tasty and fiber-rich addition on the second night.