Clean Eating Crockpot African Peanut Soup

Makes 12 servings, 1 cup each
I got the idea for this soup HERE and made a few modifications (you know I can never just follow a recipe LOL). The first time I made this it was for my friend, Martha. I made a double batch and canned it all using my pressure canner to bring to her as a Congrats-On-Your-New-Baby Present (yes I canned it even though it has peanuts in it and no they didn’t die of botulism). I was so focused on packing up meals for her that I totally forgot to save some for us and had to make a whole other batch the next day because it smelled like HEAVEN while it was cooking.

You could easily make this a vegetarian recipe by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. It tastes even better the next day after it’s had more of a chance for the flavors to blend. My family is wimpy when it comes to heat so I used barely any chili powder. Adjust the heat according to your own family’s tolerance.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 large red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and shredded
• 2 medium carrots, shredded or diced small
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp)
• 1 28oz can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
• 8 cups chicken broth (can use veggie broth)
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder (optional, I used 1/8 tsp)
• 2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus extra for garnish
• Chopped peanuts for garnish (optional)
• Plain non-fat yogurt for garnish (optional)

ONE: Swirl the olive oil around the bottom of the crockpot. Dump in all of the veggies, garlic, tomatoes with juice, broth, brown rice, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and chili powder. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours (high for 4 hours) or until veggies are tender.

TWO: Stir in peanut butter and fresh cilantro and cook on high an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through. Serve sprinkled with extra cilantro, chopped peanuts, and a dollop of yogurt.

THREE: To thicken the broth before serving, use an immersion blender (seriously the coolest tool ever!) and blend everything right in the crock for about a minute or until it’s how you like it. If you don’t have an immersion blender, scoop out 2 cups of the soup and CAREFULLY (because it will be really hot) puree it in a regular blender and then add it back to the soup.

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS: Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add veggies and cook until lightly browned and tender. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes, chicken broth, brown rice, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and chili powder. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and fresh cilantro, cover, and simmer another 15 minutes or until rice is tender. Serve sprinkled with extra cilantro, chopped peanuts, and a dollop of yogurt. If desired, thicken according to instructions in step three above.

Look at all those brightly colored veggies :)

Freeze leftovers in 1 cup portions using the medium/large portion method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 1-cup serving (without garnishes) - 218 Calories (98 Calories from Fat), 11g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 153mg Sodium, 23g Total Carbohydrates, 4g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 10g Protein, 92% DV Vitamin A, 73% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron