African Sweet Potato Soup With Peanut Butter and Black Beans

from Kathryn

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 2 quarts

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon light olive oil or 1  tablespoon  peanut oil
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons curry powder or 1  tablespoon  hot thai kitchen curry paste or 1  tablespoon mild curry paste, to taste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon (I used less cinnamon because I tend to prefer less cinnamony-flavors in my savory food)
• 1  medium red onion, peeled, diced
• 4  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  medium sweet potatoes or 1  medium  yam, peeled, diced
• 1  large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
• 1  jalapenos or 1  other hot chili pepper, seeded, diced fine
• 3 (14 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed, drained (I used 1 1/2 cups dried black beans that I cooked most of the way before adding to the broth)
• 1  quart  light broth
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  crushed hot red pepper flakes, to taste
• 2  tablespoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  big juicy lime, juice of
• 2 -3  teaspoons  organic brown sugar or 2 -3  teaspoons  raw  agave nectar, to taste
•  sea  salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat the light olive oil in large soup pot. Add the curry paste and cinnamon; stir for a minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, yellow pepper and jalapeño. Stir and cook the veggies for 5-7 minutes, until softened.
2. Add the black-eyed peas, white and black beans, broth, melted peanut butter, red pepper flakes and cilantro.
3. Bring the soup to a high simmer, cover, and lower the heat; keep the soup on simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Stir in the lime juice and brown sugar or agave. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Warm through and taste for seasoning adjustments.