Senegal is to West Africa what the state of Georgia is to the USA: peanuts! Here is this wonderful Senegalese Peanut Soup from this sub-Saharan country based on a version of a traditional recipe... from Deborah Madison’s ‘Vegetable Soups’ book. It is loaded with protein from the peanuts, lycopene from the tomatoes, and it couldn’t be simpler to make. It makes for a great dinner with a simple crunchy green salad. Cilantro stems and roots are often used for flavor in Hispanic and Afro-Caribbean cooking. Be sure to wash the cilantro well before you chop – cilantro stems and roots may be full of flavor but they are usually full of the soil they grew in too.
Whisk the peanut butter and ¼ to ½ cup of the water together until smooth. Set aside.
On medium high, heat the coconut oil in a large Dutch oven and sauté the onion, garlic, and cilantro stems with a generous pinch of salt until they have begun to soften. Stir in the cayenne and curry powder, mix well and cook 1 minute. Do not let them burn.
Add the tomatoes. Bring to a slow boil and cook until they start to turn an orangey red. Add the water and the blended peanut butter mixture. Bring to a boil again, turn the heat down to low and simmer covered until thickened about 20 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, taste for salt and heat through, uncovered. Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro, a dollop of yogurt, and a squeeze of lime.
Chef Tips
This soup is thick: add more coconut milk at step 4 to thin it if you prefer a lighter consistency.
I tried this soup with chicken. After scouring the web, I found this recipe. I love this version of the recipe as well. It's easy to fix, hearty and scrumptious. Step 2 can make a regular Dutch oven difficult to clean even after trying to deglaze the pot in Step 3. I use a Le Creuset pot for this now.
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Reviews & Comments
I tried this soup with chicken. After scouring the web, I found this recipe. I love this version of the recipe as well. It's easy to fix, hearty and scrumptious. Step 2 can make a regular Dutch oven difficult to clean even after trying to deglaze the pot in Step 3. I use a Le Creuset pot for this now.
Leave a Review or Comment