Not a Crockpot Recipe / West African Peanut Soup

[susie]

This is one of our favorites! It really isn't hard and is great made ahead!

West African Peanut Soup

3 TBS butter
2 onions, diced (sweet)
1 TBS minced garlic
1 red pepper, diced (I did big chunks!)
1 green pepper, diced
6 cups chicken stock
1 15 oz. can of tomato puree
2 tsp+ black pepper (feel free to modify this amount)
1 tsp+ crushed red pepper (feel free to modify this amount)
1 1/2+ tsp curry
3 large potatoes peeled & diced (on the large side)
1 cup crunchy Jiff peanut butter (heaping)
1/2 cup creamy Jiff peanut butter (heaping)
1 lb cooked diced chicken (3 chicken breasts) (I cooked them in the microwave)


Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat.
Increase the heat and add the onions.
Sauté until they become transparent.
Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the red and green peppers and sauté for an additional 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, tomato puree, black pepper, crushed red pepper and curry.
Bring to a boil and add the potatoes stirring often.

When the potatoes are cooked add the peanut butter to the soup and mix thoroughly.
Add the diced chicken and salt to taste. (I didn’t use any salt!)

Makes about 1 gallon.

[Cat]

Susie,
This sounds like a recipe I would like to try. Problem is I'm allergic to curry. Do you know if there is another spice I could try that would work and give close to the same flavor?


Cat

[chili]

gotta haveta needta try this recipe!!! sounds delicious!!!!
thanx for sharing!!!!!
with curry - are you allergic to all the spices that make it up? or just some in particular? most curries are made of several different spices, so you may be able to make your own without whatever it is you are allergic to?
ginger is always nice with peanut butter as an alternative - and you could throw in a little orange rind for a bit of an extra kick that you wouldn't have cause you didn't use the curry.....
hmmmmm ;D thinking i just need to print out this recipe and maybe try some of the alternates myself!!!!
hope my suggestions help you

[Cat]

Chili

We aren't really sure what parts I'm allergic to. I just kept getting sick when we went different places. We stopped at little gas/restaurant while in New Mexico. I was in there a very few minutes and couldn't draw a breath...had to leave, and use my emergency meds...The spice was very strong.....My husband went back in to talk to owner....a very nice man and wife from India...when asked they said it was curry...that it was used in a lot of their recipes...they gave him a small amount wrapped tightly in a small bag for me to test....a few weeks later we tested it again...with same reaction...we had keep a written record of places where I gotten ill and found curry was used in every place. If you can tell me the different spices used in curry it might help me narrow it down further. It would be a great help to us. Thanks so much for for any help you can give us.


Cat

[AnnaMatrix]

Susie, this sounds so yummy. My DH is vegetarian, and I think this would be good with veggie instead of chicken stock, and with chicken added at the end (for me) after he gets his share! Thanks for posting this! Gail

[susie]

Oct 2, 2010 22:49:26 GMT -5 Cat said:

Susie,
This sounds like a recipe I would like to try. Problem is I'm allergic to curry. Do you know if there is another spice I could try that would work and give close to the same flavor?


Cat

Hi Cat,
I'm so sorry to hear you're allergic to curry. A few years ago I learned that 'curry powder' is a combination of spices. I live in Wisconsin and get my curry powder from Penzey's (out of Milwaukee). I just went to their website and here is what they list as ingredients in the curry powder I use.
"Hand-mixed from: turmeric, coriander, cumin, cardamom, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, fennel, cinnamon, white pepper, black pepper, cloves, red pepper and saffron." I use Maharajah Style Curry powder that they say this about it: "Maharajah is sweet, but not hot, with fragrant cardamom and a full pound of the rare jewel of all spices, saffron, in every 100 lbs. of curry powder."
Here is a link to their web site:
www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysmaharajah.html

If you know witch spice in curry you might be reacting to you could make your own recipe and leave that spice out. I love cardamon and cumin so those might be yummy! This is how new recipes are created! I would be happy to talk to the people at Penzey's tomorrow and see if they have any suggestions. If you can eat Mexican food I doubt it is cumin:-)

Here is what Penzey's says about cumin: (i think it's interesting!)
"Cumin
Throughout the world, cumin is second in popularity only to black pepper. Americans tend to use it mostly for chili, but its pungent flavor is a must in Indian, Mexican, Asian, Northern African, Middle Eastern and Latin American cooking. It is gaining popularity here in America as various international dishes become more commonplace in our kitchens, and our tastes for Mexican foods increase, as both salsa and tacos are heavily seasoned with cumin. Here at Penzeys, we grind our cumin fresh in small lots to a very fine 40 mesh, which has given us national acclaim. Even our most demanding "old country" customers, who would never dream of ordering ground spices, have begun using our ground cumin, since it is such a fine, fresh powder. The high-oil Iranian cumin is still not available due to the U.S. Government's ban on trade with Iran."
www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyscumin.html

I am so sorry I suggested a recipe that you seem allergic to! I'll check with Penzey's and offer another favorite easy recipe!


blessings,
susie

[susie]

Oct 3, 2010 14:13:24 GMT -5 AnnaMatrix said:

Susie, this sounds so yummy. My DH is vegetarian, and I think this would be good with veggie instead of chicken stock, and with chicken added at the end (for me) after he gets his share! Thanks for posting this! Gail

Gail,
The first time I had this was at a local restaurant and it was served 'vegetarian.' I added the chicken and chicken broth. It can easily be made with Vegetable broth and without the chicken! One other local restaurant used rice instead of potatoes. Feel free to adapt it and make it your own!

I volunteer and cook for a group of Senior citizens and this is one of their favorites! I do modify the amount of peppers for them but we have grown to love this. It also freezes well so I often double the recipe and then it's ready for an easy dinner.... when Dani offers a sale!!!
smiles,
susie

[milamemories]

Oh my gosh, this sounds so good. I love curry, I will most definitly have to try this.

Thanks!

[chili]

hey cat susie kinda hit it on the mortal and pestle!!! oops sorry couldn't help that
there are several different curries from different regions..... i am almost thinking if the curries you have always had that you have had a reaction to..... i would try seeing if someone had some turmeric for you to try out....... that is what usually gives curry the yellow colour... masala curry is sweeter and the stuff i used to get from our neighbour who made it from scratch didn't use turmeric in it.... but by all means google recipes for the curry spice, compare them and see...... i know some people that can't handle ginger and i would be lost if i couldn't use ginger!!! i am a cumin kinda gal too - basically anything spicey!!!
but trust me ) if you can handle ginger - it would be great as an alternative in the recipe! and a little orange thrown in there!!!! nummmmmy for the tummy!!!!
a lot of health food stores would have pretty much all the ingredients separately if you dared to try? it might be hard on you though....... but if you think you could and you are close to one, it might be a way to go
good luck
and would love to hear if you find out what it is.......

[Susan]

OH! I Penzeys! I go into their store here in Scottsdale, AZ and just drool!

and then start shopping because it all looks and smells oh-so-heavenly!

[susie]

Oct 3, 2010 21:27:58 GMT -5 Susan said:

OH! I Penzeys! I go into their store here in Scottsdale, AZ and just drool!

and then start shopping because it all looks and smells oh-so-heavenly!

You are too funny! My mom used to put spice bottles in my Christmas stockings so you know I love spices!
But, Penzey's is especially fun because they have jars you can open to smell every spice in the store...it is ... sort of like when Dani gets new stamps in and Susan & Jane show us how to color them with our Copics! That's another

[Cat]

Please Susie don't be sorry!!! Your soup sounds soooooooo delicious I wanted to try it. I love homemade soups. I thought if there was a spice I could substitute for the curry I'd try it.

I knew curry had more than one spice, but didn't realize it could have so many. With the information Chili and you have given me; maybe I can do more research to pin point which spice is givies me so much trouble. It's a pain having to be soooo careful about eating out or going to covered dish functions. Cheeses are a Huge problem; so I'm limited on main dishes a lot times too.

Thank You Chili for your help and thank you Susie for your help and the recipe.



Cat

[Basketlady]

This recipe sounds really interesting. I so want to go to this Penzey's! It sounds like a wonderful experience!

Michelle

[Karen W]

Sounds like I will have to try this one over the winter!

Thanks for sharing

Karen

[AnnaMatrix]

We have no Penzey's store nearby, but I order all my spices from them online (www.penzeys.com). Their quality is great, they have many esoteric spices, and the price is usually lower than supermarket brands for much better quality. I'm so jealous of you guys who have an actual store - it must be sensory overload! Gail

[chili]

cat!! did you ever try this recipe?? would be interested in how you changed it up